A 39-year-old man has been arraigned in United States Federal Court in connection with a fire at the Chinese consulate general in San Francisco on New Year's day.

The man named, Feng Yanfeng, who is a permanent resident of the US, turned himself into local police on Friday two days after the fire. Feng told investigators that he drove his green minivan to a gas station in San Francisco, filling three containers with gasoline. He then proceeded to the consulate, poured gas on the door and steps and lit one of the containers on fire.

Feng faces two criminal charges, including arson and causing damage to the property of a foreign government. In a statement on Monday, the Chinese consulate general in San Francisco said it will closely follow Feng's case.