2LT International News

HONG KONG/WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump directly appealed to China’s President Xi Jinping to secure the release of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai during their meeting in South Korea last week, according to three individuals briefed on the discussion and a U.S. administration official.

While Trump did not present a specific proposal for Lai’s release, he raised broader concerns about the 77-year-old publisher’s health and well-being following his lengthy national security trial, one source said.

Trump devoted less than five minutes to the topic, the person added.

“President Trump brought up Jimmy Lai’s case, just as he said he would,” the administration official confirmed. “Both President Trump and President Xi engaged in the discussion that followed.” A third source, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the meeting, said the issue was “raised by Trump and noted by Xi,” adding that Trump suggested Lai’s release could help U.S.-China relations and improve China’s global image.

Trump’s direct involvement comes as Lai awaits a verdict in a case that has become a significant symbol of Beijing’s tightening grip on rights and freedoms in Hong Kong under the national security law imposed after the 2019 pro-democracy protests.

Lai, the founder of the now-closed pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material.

Before the meeting, Trump had signaled he would raise the case, though neither government mentioned it in official readouts afterward. The White House declined to comment on whether the discussion took place, and has not confirmed that Trump brought it up.

China’s embassy spokesperson in Washington, Liu Pengyu, said he was unaware of specific details related to Lai from the meeting but insisted that Lai’s “crimes have gravely undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability,” adding that attempts to interfere with Hong Kong’s judicial process “will not succeed.”

Although Lai is a British citizen, his case has long been a point of tension between Washington and Beijing. Trump has repeatedly stated he would “100 percent” secure Lai’s freedom. Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, expressed gratitude last week following early reports that Trump had raised his father’s situation with Xi. “Knowing President Trump’s reputation as the Liberator in Chief, I pray that his continued support and commitment will convince President Xi to free my father before it is too late,” he said in a statement.

Lai has spent more than 1,700 days in solitary confinement, according to his family and human rights groups, and is currently being held at Stanley Prison, Hong Kong’s maximum-security facility, while awaiting a verdict and sentencing after his trial concluded in late August. His lawyers have said in court that he is experiencing heart palpitations and is receiving a heart monitor and medication.