BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday strongly condemned the signing of the so-called "Hong Kong Autonomy Act" into law by the United States.

The Chinese government will resolutely take countermeasures in response, the office said in a statement.

The Chinese government has the power and responsibility to take all necessary measures to safeguard national security, the statement continued.

The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is consistent with the "one country, two systems" principle and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, and is supported by Chinese across the country, including the people in Hong Kong, according to the statement.

The United States has repeatedly been meddling in Hong Kong affairs, "fully exposing its true intention of using Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and subversion against the Chinese mainland and to contain China's development," read the statement.

"The so-called 'sanctions' imposed by the United States cannot shake the Chinese government's resolution to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and to uphold Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability," it said.

The national security law for the HKSAR has come into force, and any behavior or activity that endangers national security, with support from whatever external force, will be punished in accordance with the law, the statement said.

"The U.S. plot will never succeed," it said.