BEIJING, March 21 (Reuters) - China said it was strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed the "denigration and smearing" by the United States on the new Hong Kong security law passed earlier this week, the Chinese embassy in the U.S. said in a statement on its website.

Beijing urged the U.S. to respect China's sovereignty, and immediately stop meddling in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs, the embassy said, in response to U.S. State Department comments.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill)