UPDATE 2-European shares drop as trade jitters return

* Trump signs into law bill backing HK protesters

* China warns of 'firm counter measures'

* Trade-sensitive autos log worst day in over a week

* Virgin Money (LON: VM ) UK posts best day since IPO

* Britain's Ocado leads retail index to four-year high (Updates to close)

By Sagarika Jaisinghani

Nov 28 (Reuters) - European shares retreated from a four-year peak on Thursday as concerns about a U.S.-China trade truce resurfaced after U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law a bill supporting protesters in Hong Kong, drawing a sharp rebuke from Beijing.

The law warns of sanctions against human rights violations in Hong Kong amid pro-democracy protests. In response, Beijing said it would take "firm counter measures" in what it views as interference in an internal matter. pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX fell 0.1% after gaining for four straight sessions, as the diplomatic standoff threatened to derail trade negotiations between the world's top two economies.

Shares of trade-sensitive auto parts makers .SXAP led declines on the index, shedding 0.8% in their worst day in more than a week.

"The market is reacting in a cautiously positive way to the fact that we don't have any details of (China's) retaliation," said Ken Odeluga, market analyst at City Index in London. "I think we'll know more in the coming days and the market is keeping its powder dry for that."

European shares tracked global stocks higher this week as investors turned hopeful that at least a partial trade deal would be signed by the end of the year. The next important date in the dispute is Dec. 15, when U.S. tariffs kick in on Chinese imports including electronics and Christmas decorations.

Investors are also closely watching economic indicators as Europe's powerhouse - Germany - teeters on the edge of recession, although latest figures have signalled that the downturn could be bottoming out.

Fresh data on Thursday showed German annual inflation rose slightly in November, but remained well below the European Central Bank's target level for the seventh month in a row. Traders also shrugged off a better-than-expected rebound in euro zone economic sentiment in November. pretty clear that while some of the downturning growth may be stabilising, there's no realistic or meaningful sign just yet that we have come to the end of the slowdown," Odeluga said.

In corporate news, Virgin Money UK Plc VMUK.L jumped 19% in its best day since going public in 2016 as it said provisions for the PPI mis-selling scandal were within its previous expectations. online grocer Ocado OCDO.L rose 3.6% after saying it would open its first "mini" robotic warehouse by early 2021. The stock led the wider European retail index .SXRP to a four-year high.