TRUMP ASKS XI TO “CONSIDER” RELEASING HONG KONG TYCOON JIMMY LAI
Trump says he asked China’s Xi Jinping to think about freeing Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old British citizen and pro-democracy activist just convicted under Hong Kong’s national security law.
Trump:
“I spoke to President Xi about it and I asked to consider his release.
He’s an older man and he’s not well. So, I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens.”
Lai, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, has been jailed since 2020 and faces a possible life sentence.
He was found guilty of “colluding with foreign forces” – a charge rights groups call politically motivated.
The UK has also demanded his “immediate release,” slamming the ruling as a “violation” of his rights and summoning China’s ambassador.
Beijing dismissed the backlash, calling the international criticism “brazen defamation.”
Trump didn’t say when he spoke to Xi, but he’s now joined a growing list of global voices calling attention to Lai’s case.
Source: BBC