Donald Trump has asked his Chinese counterpart to release pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai, who has been found guilty of national security offences in Hong Kong.
The US president said he felt “so badly” about the media tycoon and British citizen, 78, who was arrested in August 2020 after China imposed a national security law following massive anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
Lai, who had previously been sentenced for several lesser offences during his five years in prison, could now spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Mr Trump said he had spoken to Xi Jinping about Lai’s case and asked for his release.
“I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release,” he said. “He’s not well, he’s an older man, and he’s not well, so I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens.”
It comes as UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said China’s ambassador to the UK had been summoned over Lai’s conviction to underline the government’s position in the “strongest terms”.
Speaking in parliament, she repeated calls for Lai to be released and called the conviction “a politically motivated prosecution”.
Ms Cooper made the remarks after Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said Lai’s case has been a priority for the government and “we will continue to call for his immediate release”.
Earlier in the day, China’s ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang, met with a senior official at the UK Foreign Office “to lodge solemn representations over the UK side’s statement that made irresponsible remarks on the Hong Kong High Court’s guilty verdict in the Jimmy Lai case”, China’s embassy said.
Lai, who founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, as well as one count of conspiracy to distribute seditious publications. He was found guilty of all three charges.
Speaking after the verdict, Lai’s daughter Claire said if he were released he would devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism.
“He just wants to reunite with his family. He wants to dedicate his life to serving our Lord, and he wants to dedicate the rest of his days to his family,” Claire Lai told the Associated Press. “My father is fundamentally not a man who operates on illegal ground.”
She said five years of solitary confinement has taken a toll on his health, and he has lost a significant amount of weight.
“He is a lot weaker and has only gotten weaker in the last year,” she said. “He has back pains and waist pains, his nails… when we visit, we can tell that they’re turning colours and falling off. Some of his teeth are rotting.”
He also has heart palpitations, is diabetic and his vision and hearing are failing, she added.
Hong Kong’s security chief, Chris Tang, said Lai has received “full medical services” and has never complained of the medical care he has been given.
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‘You’ve got to keep fighting’
Meanwhile, her brother Sebastian Lai is lobbying the UK government for their father’s release.
“Regarding the United Kingdom, we talk about normalising relationships. Well, my father’s freedom should be a precondition to that,” he said.
Asked if he is optimistic international pressure can help, he said: “I think you’ve got to keep fighting no matter what. I think, taking my father’s example, standing up for what is right is why we’re doing it. This is my way of fighting for it.”
Hong Kong’s leader John Lee welcomed the verdict, saying: “He has harmed the fundamental interests of the country and the well-being of the people of Hong Kong; his actions are shameful and his intentions malicious.”
