A car has rammed into the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, coming to a stop in the lobby and creating a chaotic scene that ended with police fatally shooting the driver. San Francisco police said they did not know why the unidentified driver smashed through the front of the consulate, which is on a major street across from the city's Japantown neighbourhood. In a statement, the Chinese consulate-general described the incident on Monday as a "violent attack". Police descended on the consulate on a report of a vehicle crashing into the building and urged people to avoid the area. Video from the scene showed a blue Honda sedan inside the lobby of the consulate's visa office. Officers entered the building, made contact with the suspect and opened fire, San Francisco police Sergeant Kathryn Winters said during a brief news conference. Despite "life-saving efforts", the suspect died in hospital. Police did not describe how the shooting unfolded, how many officers fired or if the driver had a weapon. There were no reports of any injured people inside the building. Police are working and co-ordinating with investigators from the US State Department and the Chinese consulate. "I wish I could give you more but this is a very complex investigation," Winters said. The Chinese consulate-general demanded more details about the incident and asked that it be "dealt with seriously in accordance with the law". "Our embassy severely condemns this violent attack," its statement said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin repeated that statement at a daily briefing on Tuesday without giving any details about damage to the consulate or injuries to staff and visitors. He said Beijing strongly urged US authorities launch a "swift investigation and take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese diplomatic missions and personnel". The San Francisco consulate has been targeted a number of times before. Among the most serious was a fire set by a Chinese man on New Year's Day 2014 at the main entrance. The man, who was living in the San Francisco Bay Area, told authorities he was driven by voices he was hearing. He was sentenced to nearly three years in prison. Monday's incident comes as San Francisco prepares to host next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit. President Joe Biden plans to attend but it's not clear if Chinese President Xi Jinping will go. Australian Associated Press
