Hong Kong residents hold banners opposing the US and foreign meddling in China's internal affairs in front of the US Consulate General in Hong Kong on July 2.

The signatures of more than 1.65 million Hong Kong residents were submitted to the US Consulate General in Hong Kong on Thursday to express opposition to interference from the US and other external forces in China's internal affairs, including Hong Kong affairs.

The signatures were collected in a petition campaign that the alliance of all sectors of Hong Kong for the legislation of national security law, a local political organization, launched on June 23 and was submitted by representatives of the alliance, including Frankie Ngan Man-yu, deputy secretary of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, Stanley Ng Chau-pei, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and Brave Chan Yung, vice chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment. 

Chan noted that US politicians are not Chinese citizens, let alone Hong Kong citizens, and therefore have no right to interfere in Hong Kong affairs. 

Some residents also held up banners in front of the consulate saying, "We oppose American and foreign meddling in China's internal affairs" and shouting support for the enactment of the national security law for Hong Kong. 

The online signature campaign, which ended at 9 am on Thursday, urged the US and other Western countries to immediately stop their intervention and cease all sanctions and intimidation against Hong Kong, according to its website.

It also noted that the enactment of the national security law for Hong Kong will safeguard the rule of law and order in the region, and strongly condemned the criticism from the external forces, led by the US, of the law. 

A total of 1,651,068 Hong Kong residents signed the petition.