People from different social sectors in Hong Kong slammed the United States for signing the Hong Kong-related act into law, calling it a blatant interference in China's internal affairs.

"What the U.S. has done is utterly an act of gangsters. Apparently, it is using the act as an excuse to threaten Hong Kong and our country," Ng Chau-pei, deputy to National People's Congress, chairman of Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions said.

"Human rights and democracy are making steady progress in Hong Kong, but the U.S. is trying to contain and even damage Hong Kong's stability through the act, which is hypocritical. I am completely confident about Hong Kong and I believe that the people in Hong Kong want their life to get back to normal," he added.

Chan Hak-kan, member of Hong Kong Legislative Council, Vice Chairman of Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the Hong Kong-related act is an interference in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs, which is very shameful.

He believes since Hong Kong returned to motherland, it has become more democratic and has taken a giant step forward compared with those years under the colonial rule.

He stressed, "The people of Hong Kong can now govern Hong Kong. In the international community, Hong Kong's human rights situation and democracy index are both higher than those of the U.S."

Lai Ka-chi, member of Hong Kong Youth Enlightenment also condemned U.S. interference.

"Actually, the U.S. has a lot of problems concerning its own human rights. The act reflects the double standards of the U.S. No matter what means it uses or what kind of laws it passes, its attempt to deter our country's development is doomed to fail," he said.

Professor Lau Siu-kai from the Chinese University of Hong Kong noted the U.S. is opening challenging China's sovereignty by passing the so-called "Hong Kong act."

Through encouraging or supporting protesters in Hong Kong, American politicians want to make Hong Kong a pawn to contain China, he said, warning this could be a major threat to China's national security.

For the professor, the U.S. aim is to slow down China's development by triggering unrest in Hong Kong, and China has to take a tougher response.

The brutal interference of the U.S. government on the internal affairs of China shows that Washington is destroying Hong Kong's stability, said Lam Lung-on, president of Hong Kong Chinese Importers' and Exporters' Association.

According to Lam, the act on Hong Kong that Washington just signed into law is actually breaking Hong Kong's advantage as a global trade center, world financial center, and world shipping center.

The so-called "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act" will also hurt American companies doing business in Hong Kong, he said, noting that the law will hurt people from both sides.