[nomel]

Or perhaps they realized that the few high security document destruction machines they had on site, for daily sporadic use, wouldn't be enough to destroy the complete collection of documents, accumulated over the last 41 years that they've been present, in a timely manner?

According to DoD 5220.22-M, 5-705, incineration is probably the only realistic method in this particular situation.

The US has done the same in the past. When a foreign government kicks you out, you can't say politely ask "ok, can you give us a week to finish up here?". Or are you suggesting that they should have known they were going to be kicked out and destroyed everything in preporation?

[eiji]

> Or are you suggesting that they should have known they were going to be kicked out and destroyed everything in preporation?

That's precisely what I'm trying to say. A campfire is certainly the fastest way to get the job done. It's just a very open public acknowledgement that you have stuff to burn. Every embassy or consulate on foreign soil has plenty of documents that are very confidential. Not all is criminal by any means. There is plenty of supporting material and analysis of economic concerns that are treated very confidential.

[nomel]

How would they have known, weeks in advance, for what is being reported as an "abrupt" decision? Guessing wrong would mean destroying everything without reason. How would they benefit from not waiting until the decision was actually made?

From the linked video:

> Images show people burning documents at China's consulate in Houston, a common practice when a diplomatic post is quickly abandoned.