US President Donald Trump signed Hong Kong Human Rights bill, but it was reacted negatively by China while protesters welcomed US law as 'remarkable achievement'.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law congressional legislation backing protesters in Hong Kong drawing a swift and furious response from Beijing, which promised 'firm countermeasures', Aljazeera reports.
The legislation, approved unanimously by the Senate - the United States's upper house - and by all but one member of the House of Representatives - the lower house - last week, requires Hong Kong's special trade status with the US to be reviewed annually by the State Department, and also threatens sanctions for human rights violations.
"The US has been disregarding facts and distorting truth," a Chinese foreign ministry statement said, BBC reports.
"It openly backed violent criminals who rampantly smashed facilities, set fire, assaulted innocent civilians, trampled on the rule of law, and jeopardized social order."
Hong Kong's government also reacted, saying the American bill would send the wrong signal and would not help to ease the situation.
Trump's move was welcomed by Hong Kong protesters.
A key activist in the Hong Kong protest movement, Joshua Wong, said the US law was a "remarkable achievement" for "all Hongkongers".