BEIJING, November 28. /TASS/. The US administration is openly supporting lawbreakers in Hong Kong and is interfering in internal affairs of China, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang told a briefing on Thursday. The comment comes after US President Donald Trump signed the so-called Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act into law.

"This is a case of serious interference in Hong Kong affairs which is a Chinese domestic affair," he said. "We issued a strong reprimand to the US side," Geng Shuang underlined.

"The United States is ignoring facts and the real state of affairs. It openly supported those criminals responsible for violence, who are trashing infrastructure facilities, engage in arson, disturb peaceful civilians, undermine the rule of law and disrupt public order," the diplomat added.

China’s countermeasures to Hong Kong Act

The US administration should refrain from invoking the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act signed earlier by US President Donald Trump, otherwise, it can affect the bilateral relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang told a briefing on Thursday in a comment on whether the adoption of this legislation can take its toll on trade negotiations between China and the United States.

"We are issuing a fervent protest in light of the adoption of the so-called Hong Kong Act. We are unequivocally calling on the US to opt against applying this law as it can affect our cooperation in key areas," the diplomat claimed. "As for the specific countermeasures, I advise you to follow the developments," he added.

"Nobody should underestimate China’s resolute determination to protect its national sovereignty, security and development interests as well as implement the ‘one country, two systems’ [constitutional] principle and ensure prosperity and stability in Hong Kong," the ministry spokesperson concluded.

Hong Kong Act

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act signed by Trump requires the US administration to regularly provide reports on situation in Hong Kong for US lawmakers and sets out that sanctions can possibly be imposed on people that Washington deems responsible for human rights violations in this special administrative region of China. Moreover, the bill instructs the US State Department to conduct annual reviews of whether Hong Kong is sufficiently independent from Beijing in the context of the ‘one country, two systems’ constitutional principle with the aim of extending the existing preferential trade, economic and investment regime with the US.

Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly warned that the act will hit business interests of the US itself considering that 85,000 US citizens and entrepreneurs are residing in the city, while 1,344 US companies are engaged in business activities.