Trump Presses Xi on Release of Hong Kong Media Mogul Jimmy Lai

Post by : Raina Nasser

US President Donald Trump raised the plight of jailed Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in South Korea, urging Beijing to consider his release as a confidence-building step in US-China relations, according to officials briefed on the exchange.

The appeal represents one of the most visible presidential interventions in the high-profile case of the 77-year-old publisher. Lai, founder of the now-closed pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, has come to symbolize concerns about Beijing’s expanding control over Hong Kong since the national security law was imposed.

Officials familiar with the discussion said Mr Trump raised alarms about Lai’s deteriorating health and conditions in detention, arguing that freeing him would help China’s international image. He did not present a formal quid pro quo, but devoted several minutes of the summit to the request.

“President Trump raised Mr. Lai’s situation, as he had indicated he would,” a senior US official said, adding that the two leaders treated the matter in a professional and constructive manner.

Lai has been held for more than 1,700 days in solitary confinement at Hong Kong’s Stanley Prison and faces charges including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious material — accusations human rights organisations say are politically motivated.

Mr Trump previously vowed on the campaign trail that he would “100% get Lai out of China,” and his renewed advocacy reflects persistent diplomatic friction between Washington and Beijing over Hong Kong’s freedoms.

Sebastien Lai, the tycoon’s son, praised the US intervention and expressed hope that continued pressure might persuade President Xi to release his father before it is too late.

Chinese officials have repeatedly maintained that Lai’s prosecution is a domestic judicial matter and warned against outside interference. A spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington said Lai’s actions had “gravely undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability,” asserting that attempts to interfere with judicial proceedings would not succeed.

Aside from the human rights exchanges, Mr Trump described the summit as productive, citing advances on trade, rare earths and joint efforts to curb fentanyl production. The leaders reportedly avoided discussion of Taiwan during the roughly 90-minute encounter.

As Jimmy Lai awaits a verdict after a protracted national security trial, rights groups and Western governments continue to call for his release, viewing his detention as emblematic of an erosion of press freedoms in Hong Kong.