US President Donald Trump has called on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to release Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media mogul convicted on national security charges, expressing sadness over his situation. 'I feel so badly. I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release,' Trump told reporters on Monday, without specifying when the conversation occurred. 'He's an older man, and he's not well. So I did put that request out. We'll see what happens.'
Trump had previously indicated before returning to the White House that he wanted to free Lai, a businessman who founded the pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily. The US president met Xi in October in South Korea, where he is believed to have raised Lai's case. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump's concerns, stating on X that the Hong Kong verdict demonstrated China's determination to 'silence those who seek to protect freedom of speech and other fundamental rights.'
Rubio noted that China had promised to uphold a separate system before the UK handed over Hong Kong in 1997. 'Reports indicate that Mr Lai's health has severely deteriorated during more than 1,800 days in prison,' Rubio said in a statement. 'We urge the authorities to bring this ordeal to an end as soon as possible and to release Mr Lai on humanitarian grounds.'
Lai, 78 and diabetic, was found guilty on Monday of all three charges in a national security trial and could face life imprisonment, having been jailed since his arrest in late 2020. His conviction is part of a broader clampdown by China on Hong Kong following mass protests in 2019. Lai's daughter, Claire Lai, appealed for his release, telling the Associated Press that he would devote himself to God and family if freed. 'He just wants to reunite with his family. He wants to dedicate his life to serving our Lord, and he wants to dedicate the rest of his days to his family. My father is fundamentally not a man who operates on illegal ground.'
