Troops in Hong Kong are ready to take orders from Beijing, a spokesperson said

Soldiers are 'resolute', 'confident' and 'capable' of quelling the unrest, he added

Comes after Trump yesterday signed into law two bills to support demonstrators

China warned 'counter measures' and urged the U.S. to mind its own business

China has warned that its troops in Hong Kong are ready to take orders from Beijing after U.S. President Donald Trump signed two bills in support of the city's anti-government protests.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense said today that soldiers stationed in the financial hub were 'resolute', 'confident' and 'capable' of protecting the nation's sovereignty and security.

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The statement came after Beijing summoned U.S. Ambassador Terry Brandstad earlier today to demand that Washington stop interfering with its internal affairs immediately.

President Trump yesterday signed into law two bills, backing pro-democracy activists who have staged demonstrations for nearly six months.

The news also came after President Trump last week claimed that he had prevented the former British colony from being 'obliterated in 14 minutes' by the People's Liberation Army. He said he had talked Chinese President Xi out of giving the order.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense said today that the People's Liberation Army in Hong Kong were ready to take orders from Beijing after U.S. President signed bills to back protesters

President Trump on Wednesday approved two bills aiming at backing pro-democracy activists

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Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, said today that President Xi had given clear instructions regarding the anti-riot tasks in Hong Kong.

'The Hong Kong-based troops follow the command of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Central Military Commission at any time,' Colonel Ren said at a press conference in Beijing.

'[The troops] are resolute, confident and capable of carrying out the Basic Law as well as the responsibilities and duties endowed by the Law of the People's Republic of China on Garrisoning Hong Kong, uphold national sovereignty, security and developmental interests, safeguard Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability,' Colonel Ren added.

Chinese President Xi said earlier this month that stopping violence was the most urgent task for Hong Kong.

PLA Soldiers swearing their unwavering loyalty to Beijing before heading to Hong Kong

Armored personnel carriers of China's People's Liberation Army pass through the Huanggang Port border between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong in the wee hours of August 29

Trump said that Xi has 'got a million soldiers standing outside of Hong Kong that aren't going in only because I asked him, 'Please don't do that, it's going to make a tremendous negative impact on the trade deal.'" The two leaders are pictured during a meeting in Japan on June 29

Beijing has conducted multiple large-scale anti-riot military drills in Shenzhen, a mainland city that borders Hong Kong.

Footage and satellite pictures emerged in mid-August showed that China had mobilised military trucks into a sports stadium looking out to Shenzhen Bay, ready to quash the unrest.

Chinese military then declared it would only take them 10 minutes to hit the financial hub.

A soldier from China's People's Liberation Army wears a gas mask as he watches a clash between police and protesters at Hong Kong Polytechnic University from inside a nearby PLA garrison in Hong Kong on November 17

Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers train inside the PLA Hong Kong Garrison barracks, seen from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University on November 21

The People's Liberation Army also sent fresh troops into Hong Kong in August.

Beijing said the military operation, which took place in the early hours, was a routine annual rotation, but observers suspect that China has doubled its military personnel in the Hong Kong barracks.

In September, the police authority of Guangdong Province - where Shenzhen is - ordered 150,000 anti-riot officers near Hong Kong to get ready for action ahead of the country's National Day.

It remains unclear if the troops are still stationed in Shenzhen.

A satellite image shows military and security vehicles parked in a stadium in Shenzhen

Chinese servicemen attend a crowd control exercise at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Shenzhen across the bay from Hong Kong on August 16. One of the soldiers is seen carrying a huge fork, which may also be electric, to be used in crowd control during a staged clash

One of the bills approved by Trump, the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, requires the U.S. secretary of state to certify every year that Hong Kong was retaining its autonomy in order to keep receiving the special treatment that has allowed it to be a major financial center.

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A second, the Protect Hong Kong Act, bars commercial exports of military and crowd control items that Hong Kong policy could use against demonstrators.

China warned the United States today that it would take 'firm counter measures' in response to U.S. legislation, and said attempts to interfere in the Chinese-ruled city were doomed to fail.

Protesters in Hong Kong responded by staging a 'Thanksgiving' rally, with thousands, some draped in U.S. flags, gathering in the heart of the city.

The law also threatens sanctions for human rights violations.

Pro-democracy protesters take part in a 'Thanksgiving Day' rally at Edinburgh Place in Hong Kong on November 28. They have gathered to say thank you to the United States

A pro-democracy protester holds a placard showing a U.S. flag during a rally in Hong Kong today. China warned the United States today that it would take 'firm counter measures'

'The rationale for us having this rally is to show our gratitude and thank the U.S Congress and also President Trump for passing the bill,' said 23-year-old Sunny Cheung, a member of the student group that lobbied for the legislation.

'We are really grateful about that and we really appreciate the effort made by Americans who support Hong Kong, who stand with Hong Kong, who do not choose to side with Beijing,' he said, urging other countries to pass similar legislation.

The Chinese foreign ministry said the United States would shoulder the consequences of China's counter measures if it continued to 'act arbitrarily' in regards to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's Beijing-backed government said the legislation sent the wrong signal to demonstrators and 'clearly interfered' with the city's internal affairs.

China is considering barring the drafters of the legislation, whose U.S. Senate sponsor is Florida Republican Marco Rubio, from entering mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Macau, Hu Xijin, the editor of China's Global Times tabloid, said on Twitter.

More than 5,800 people have been arrested since the unrest broke out in June over a proposal to allow extraditions to mainland China, the numbers grew in October and November as violence escalated.

Demonstrators are angry at police violence and what they see as Chinese meddling in freedoms promised to Hong Kong when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, such as an independent judiciary.

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China says it is committed to the 'one country, two systems' formula put in place at the handover, and blames foreign forces for fomenting the unrest, an allegation it repeated in response to the U.S. law.