Donald Trump says he raised jailed Hong Kong democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai with Xi Jinping and left the conversation with little hope of a breakthrough.
The exchange came during summit talks in Beijing, where family members and supporters had hoped the US president might use direct access to China’s leader to push for Lai’s release. Lai, 78, is a British citizen and a prominent pro-democracy figure whose case has drawn sustained international concern. Trump said he does “not feel optimistic” after Xi reportedly described the matter as “a tough one.”
Trump said he pressed Xi Jinping on Jimmy Lai, but his public assessment afterward offered little sign that Beijing plans to change course.
That matters because Lai’s case has become more than a single diplomatic appeal. It now stands as a measure of how far high-level pressure can move Beijing on politically charged detentions in Hong Kong. Reports indicate supporters saw the summit as a rare opening, especially with the issue placed directly before Xi rather than left to lower-level officials.
Key Facts
- Trump said he discussed Jimmy Lai’s case with Xi Jinping in Beijing.
- He later said he did not feel optimistic about Lai’s prospects.
- Xi reportedly told Trump the case “is a tough one.”
- Lai is a 78-year-old British citizen and Hong Kong democracy campaigner.
The immediate result appears stark: the public message from Trump suggests no visible concession from China. That will likely deepen concern among governments and rights advocates already watching the case closely. What happens next may depend on whether the US, the UK, and other allies keep Lai’s case high on the diplomatic agenda, because Trump’s comments suggest one leader-to-leader appeal alone will not resolve it.