President Trump has asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to free Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy figure in jail. Trump is worried about Lai’s health because he is 78 and was just convicted under Hong Kong’s national security law.
On Monday, Hong Kong’s High Court said Lai was guilty of working with foreign powers and publishing material that stirred up trouble. Rights groups say this is a major blow to press freedom in Hong Kong. Lai said he was not guilty, but he could get life in prison.
Trump told reporters he talked to President Xi about it and asked him to consider letting Lai go. He said Lai’s age and health were the main reasons he spoke up. Trump did not say exactly when he asked, but people think it was when he met Xi in South Korea in October.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this shows Beijing wants to shut down anyone who disagrees with them. He sees the conviction as proof that China wants to stop people from speaking freely and having basic rights. Rubio said Lai’s health has worsened during his time in jail, over 1,800 days, and that he should be released because of his health.
The UK also criticized the conviction, saying it was for political reasons and wants Lai released as soon as possible. Lai is a British citizen and has been in jail since late 2020. His son, Sebastien Lai, wants Britain to put more pressure on Beijing and make his father’s freedom a requirement for better relations with China.
Lai’s daughter, Claire, said her father would leave politics if he were released. She explained that he wants to spend time with his family and live peacefully. Lai started *Apple Daily*, a pro-democracy newspaper that has since closed. Its shutdown in 2021 marked a major shift for Hong Kong’s media. Since then, news outlets have reduced critical reporting out of fear of repercussions, and the city’s press freedom ranking has fallen sharply.
