Trump Pleads With Xi Jinping Over Imprisoned Publisher Jimmy Lai

During a meeting in South Korea, US President Donald Trump raised the plight of jailed Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging that he be released and describing such a move as a constructive step for US-China relations, according to officials familiar with the exchange.

The personal appeal by the US leader stands out as one of the highest-profile diplomatic interventions in the case of Jimmy Lai, the 77-year-old publisher whose prosecution has become a symbol of Beijing’s increasingly strict approach to Hong Kong under the national security law.

Sources close to the conversation said Trump expressed worry about Lai’s worsening health and general welfare, suggesting that releasing him would burnish China’s international image. He did not present a formal agreement, but devoted several minutes to the topic in a focused, substantive exchange with Xi.

“President Trump brought up Jimmy Lai’s case, just as he said he would,” a senior US official said. “Both leaders handled the matter respectfully and spoke constructively.”

Lai, who founded the now-closed pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, has been held in solitary confinement at Hong Kong’s Stanley Prison for more than 1,700 days. Authorities charge him with conspiring to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious material — allegations that rights advocates say are politically motivated.

During his campaign, Trump vowed he would “100% get Lai out of China,” framing himself as a defender of press freedom. His renewed effort highlights the ongoing diplomatic friction between Washington and Beijing, particularly over Hong Kong’s democratic space.

Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, thanked Trump for raising the issue, saying: “Knowing President Trump’s reputation as the Liberator in Chief, I pray his continued support will persuade President Xi to free my father before it’s too late.”

Chinese officials, for their part, have insisted the case is a domestic judicial matter and rejected external interference. A spokesperson at China’s embassy in Washington said Lai’s actions had “gravely undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability,” and warned that attempts to influence the courts “will not succeed.”

Beyond human-rights concerns, Trump described the meeting with Xi as “highly productive,” pointing to progress on trade, rare earths and efforts to curb fentanyl production. The leaders reportedly avoided discussing Taiwan during their roughly 90-minute session.

As Jimmy Lai awaits a verdict after a lengthy national security trial, his situation continues to draw international scrutiny. Rights groups and Western governments have repeatedly called for his release, saying his detention reflects a shrinking space for free expression in Hong Kong.