  We present a measurement of the spatial clustering of massive compact
galaxies at $1.2\le z \le 3$ in CANDELS/3D-HST fields. We obtain the
correlation length for compact quiescent galaxies (cQGs) at $z\sim1.6$ of
$r_{0}=7.1_{-2.6}^{+2.3}\ h^{-1}Mpc$ and compact star forming galaxies (cSFGs)
at $z\sim2.5$ of $r_{0}=7.7_{-2.9}^{+2.7}\ h^{-1}Mpc$ assuming a power-law
slope $\gamma =1.8$. The characteristic dark matter halo masses $M_H$ of cQGs
at $z\sim1.6$ and cSFGs at $z\sim2.5$ are $\sim7.1\times 10^{12}\ h^{-1}
M_\odot$ and $\sim4.4\times10^{12}\ h^{-1} M_\odot$, respectively. Our
clustering result suggests that cQGs at $z\sim1.6$ are possibly the progenitors
of local luminous ETGs and the descendants of cSFGs and SMGs at $z>2$. Thus an
evolutionary connection involving SMGs, cSFGs, QSOs, cQGs and local luminous
ETGs has been indicated by our clustering result.
