FILE PHOTO: State Councilor Yang Jiechi talks to Minister of the Presidency of the Dominican Republic Gustavo Montalvo (not pictured) in Zhongnanhai, Beijing, China September 17, 2019. Andrea Verdelli/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi said China strongly condemns the U.S. legislation supporting protesters in Hong Kong, in an interview with the official Xinhua.

“China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns the bill, and has expressed our severe position to the American side,” said Yang, according to the Xinhua report. He urged the United States to stop the bill from becoming law.

The U.S. House of Representatives sent the legislation to the White House last week after voting 417 to 1 for the “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act”, which the Senate had passed unanimously the day before.