Trump Raises Jimmy Lai Case With Xi Amid Family’s Hope
Trump confirms raising Jimmy Lai’s case with Xi as his daughter expresses renewed hope for his release.
1 min read
President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he raised the case of Jimmy Lai with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their recent meeting, offering new hope to Lai’s family. Lai, a Hong Kong newspaper publisher and outspoken critic of Beijing, remains imprisoned in Hong Kong, where his family has spent years advocating for his release.
Family’s Renewed Hope
Claire Lai, Jimmy Lai’s daughter, recently began cancer treatment in the United Kingdom and expressed gratitude for Trump’s continued efforts on her father’s behalf. She noted that the president’s renewed commitment has given her confidence that Lai will be freed during Trump’s second term.
“He and his administration have again shown their continued commitment to securing my father’s freedom,” Claire Lai told The Daily Wire. “This gives me a great deal of confidence that it is under President Trump’s leadership that my father will be freed and I look forward to the day we see him again.”
Political and Religious Context
Lai, a devout Catholic, has consistently defended the rights he believed were promised to him, even when it was legally permissible to do so. He expressed a desire to spend his final years with his family and serve God, as he stated in a letter shared with The Daily Wire.
Trump also raised Lai’s case during his spring visit to China, where he also sought the release of Pastor Ezra Jin, who was subsequently freed. However, as Trump departed China, he acknowledged that Lai’s case was “a tougher one.”
Leaders’ Silence on Lai’s Fate
During Xi’s visit to the White House last week, The Daily Wire repeatedly asked Trump and Xi about Lai’s fate. Neither leader responded to the questions, leaving the case’s future uncertain.
Source: Daily Wire
