US president Donald Trump has urged his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to release jailed Hong Kong media Tycoon Jimmy Lai, who faces a possible life sentence following his conviction under the national security law.
On Monday, after Lai's conviction, Trump said, "I feel so bad. I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked him 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,” Trump added.
Before returning to white house in January this year, the White House officials had said that Trump wanted to see Lai free. During an October meeting in South Korea, officials believe Trump may have raised Lai’s case with Xi, seeking his release. Trump administration’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a post on X, wrote the verdict showed China’s determination to "silence those who seek to protect freedom of speech and other fundamental rights.”
He pointed out the 1997 joint declaration between Britain and China, in which the two sides agreed to uphold “one country, two systems” for the financial hub. "Reports indicate that Mr Lai's health has severely deteriorated during more than 1,800 days in prison," Rubio said in a statement.
"We urge the authorities to bring this ordeal to an end as soon as possible and to release Mr Lai on humanitarian grounds."
Lai, a devout Catholic, has seen his case being raised in the United States by an ad hoc coalition of democracy and press freedom advocates as well as Christian activists, who form a key base for Trump. Lai’s conviction came after he was found guilty on Monday on all three charges under a stringent national security trial. The ruling could see him spend the rest of his life in prison.
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