FILE PHOTO: Members of a safety team established by police and local authorities arrive on campus to assess and clear unsafe items, at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Hong Kong, China, November 28, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis

HONG KONG (Reuters) - The Hong Kong government on Thursday expressed strong opposition to U.S. legislation backing protesters in the Chinese-ruled city, saying the bill will send the wrong signal to demonstrators.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law congressional legislation backing protesters in Hong Kong despite angry objections from Beijing, with which he is seeking a deal to end a damaging trade war.