On Tuesday, February 10, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that President Trump is concerned about the case of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, and he raised the issue of releasing Lai when he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea last October.
Trump himself never revealed when he mentioned the case of Jimmy Lai to Xi Jinping, but he has consistently promised to do everything possible to “save” him.
“I feel very saddened,” Trump said in mid-December last year after Jimmy Lai was convicted, “I talked to Xi about it and asked him to consider releasing Jimmy Lai. Jimmy Lai is in poor health, he is old, and not in good health, so I did make this request. Let’s see what happens.”
The White House disclosed that Trump is scheduled to visit China in April to meet with Xi Jinping. The Jimmy Lai case could become another thorny issue in negotiations between the two largest global economies.
Jimmy Lai is a former media tycoon of the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong and a critic of the Chinese Communist Party.
On Monday, a court in Hong Kong sentenced Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison for violating Beijing’s imposed national security law. Lai’s family pleaded for his release on humanitarian grounds. The so-called “National Security Law” is essentially designed by Beijing to suppress dissenting voices in Hong Kong.
Jimmy Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, mentioned Trump and said, “The President has repeatedly expressed his concern about this case. It is clear that the visit in April is crucial, hoping that by then my father’s health remains good.”
Speaking of his father, Sebastien Lai added, “Sadly, he is nearing the end of his life. He has suffered too much hardship, and his health is deteriorating.”
US Secretary of State Marc Rubio stated that China’s decision to sentence Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison is “unjust and heartbreaking”.
Rubio urged Chinese authorities to grant humanitarian parole to Jimmy Lai, pointing out that after enduring a lengthy trial spanning two years and over five years of detention, Jimmy Lai and his family “have suffered far too much pain.”
Jimmy Lai’s daughter, Claire Lai, commented on whether Trump will succeed in mediating her father’s release, “We remain hopeful, but the outcome is uncertain to us.”
Sebastien Lai, interviewed by the Associated Press in London, stated that world leaders should raise his father’s case when visiting China or meeting with Xi Jinping, continuing to pressure Beijing.
“I can only pray that this pressure will be effective,” Sebastien Lai said, “I believe my father’s case is a litmus test for our interactions with the Chinese authorities.”
The government of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that during his visit to China last month, he directly raised the issue of Jimmy Lai’s case with Xi. UK officials said that they would “take further action promptly” after the sentencing on Monday, but no specific information has been released yet.
Sebastien Lai expressed his “immense gratitude” for Trump’s past comments on releasing his father, saying that these remarks “have given my family a lot of hope.”
He said it has now become a matter of saving his father’s life.
“A 20-year sentence, considering my father is already 78 years old, is simply absurd. In 20 years, he will be close to 100 years old,” Sebastien Lai said, “but given his current circumstances… he may not even make it that far.”