Trump Urges Xi Jinping to Release Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai
Trump asks Xi Jinping to consider freeing Jimmy Lai after his conviction under Hong Kong’s national security law, sparking global outrage.
US President Donald Trump said he has asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping to "consider" releasing Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was convicted earlier this week under the city's controversial national security law.
"I feel very badly about it," Trump told reporters."I spoke to President Xi about it and asked him to consider releasing him."
Similarly, Britain also demanded the "immediate release" of the 78-year-old Lai, with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemning the decision as "politically motivated persecution."
Lai, a British citizen, has been in jail since December 2020 and is due to be sentenced early next year. He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Trump made the brief remarks to reporters at the White House on Monday – but did not specify when he had raised Lai's case with Xi.
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"He's an old man and he's not well. So I made that request. Let's see what happens, okay?" he said.
His comments came after a Hong Kong court convicted Lai on Monday of colluding with foreign forces.
The verdict was welcomed by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, who said Lai's actions had "undermined the country's interests and the welfare of the people of Hong Kong," but human rights groups called it "a cruel judicial spectacle."
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told Parliament on Monday that Lai "has been targeted by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression," and demanded Lai's "immediate release."
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She added that the Foreign Office had summoned the Chinese ambassador "to underline our position in the strongest possible terms," and said it was "heartbreaking that such a violation of the rights of a British national can take place in Hong Kong." China's Foreign Ministry on Monday dismissed criticisms of Lai's trial, calling them a "shameless smear and vilification of the judicial system in Hong Kong."
Lai was convicted on Monday under the city's controversial national security law – which human rights groups say is used to stifle dissent, but which Beijing maintains is necessary for the city's stability.
He was also convicted under a separate colonial-era law for publishing seditious material in Apple Daily. His arrest and conviction have drawn concern from human rights groups and foreign leaders, who have long called for his release.
His children have expressed serious concerns about Lai's deteriorating health in prison, with Sebastian saying earlier this year that, given his father's age and health, he "could die in prison."
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