The main entrance to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco was set afire Wednesday night, drawing a strong protest from Chinese officials who condemned the "despicable attack."

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The consulate said that an unidentified attacker poured two buckets of gasoline onto the front door of the consulate and set it on fire, causing severe damage. No one was injured in the attack.

"The arson attack is a violent crime targeted at the Chinese consular institution in the United States, causing severe damage to the consulate facilities and posing a threat to the safety of the consulate staff and the residents living nearby," said a statement by the consulate. "We urge the U.S. side to take all necessary measures to provide adequate protection for Chinese consular personnel and properties, and bring the culprit(s) to justice as soon as possible."

The attack comes as tensions have risen between the United States and China over territorial disputes in the waters off China's coast. There were no claims of responsibility for the attack, and the police had no suspects Thursday morning.

Pictures of the flames were widely circulated on Chinese social media and news sites on Thursday, drawing expressions of outrage from commenters assailing the attack.