Trump Urges Xi Jinping to Consider Release of Hong Kong Media Mogul Jimmy Lai
Trump urges Xi to release jailed Hong Kong tycoon.
United States President Donald Trump revealed on December 15, 2025, that he has personally requested Chinese President Xi Jinping to consider releasing Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, expressing deep concern over Lai's recent conviction in a high-profile national security trial.
Trump conveyed his sadness regarding the verdict, stating to reporters that he had spoken directly with Xi about the matter and urged consideration of Lai's release on humanitarian grounds. The president highlighted Lai's age and deteriorating health, noting that the 78-year-old is "an older man, and he's not well," while adding that the outcome remains uncertain.
The request is believed to have been raised during Trump's bilateral meeting with Xi on October 30, 2025, in Busan, South Korea, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Prior to his return to office, Trump had publicly committed to advocating for Lai's freedom, underscoring the case's significance amid ongoing U.S.-China tensions.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump's sentiments shortly after the remarks, asserting that the conviction demonstrates China's intent to suppress freedom of speech and fundamental rights, in violation of promises made prior to the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from Britain. Rubio emphasized reports of Lai's severe health decline after more than 1,800 days in detention and called for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds.
Jimmy Lai, a devout Catholic and founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was convicted on December 15, 2025, of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material. Facing a potential life sentence, Lai has been imprisoned since late 2020 as part of Beijing's broader crackdown on dissent following the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, with his case drawing international attention from press freedom advocates and Christian supporters aligned with Trump's base.
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