During U.S. President Donald Trump’s three-day visit to China, he met with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on the 14th. According to Reuters, following the meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump personally raised the case of Jimmy Lai with Xi and that the U.S. is seeking a positive response from Beijing. Earlier, Lai’s children issued a letter urging Trump to secure their father’s release, expressing hope that he could return to the United States aboard Air Force One.
Rubio: Trump raised Jimmy Lai with Xi
On Thursday, May 14 Rubio said in an interview with NBC that during the 2 hour and 15 minute meeting, Trump raised the cases of Jimmy Lai and other detained individuals with Xi Jinping, and the U.S. called for their release. “We are awaiting a positive response,” he said.
Rubio did not disclose how the Chinese side responded, but emphasized that the U.S. position on human rights in Hong Kong and dissidents is very clear.
When asked whether the U.S. would assist in arranging Lai’s travel to the U.S. if he were released, Rubio did not give a direct answer: “We’d be open to any arrangement that would work for them, as long as he’s given his freedom.”
Lai’s children call on Trump to save their father
At the same time, during Trump’s visit to China, Lai’s children abroad also launched a parallel campaign to free their father. Lai’s daughter Claire Lai said in an interview with Fox News on the same day that her father came from a wealthy family at a time when China was not yet ruled by the Communist Party. After the CCP came to power, he witnessed many tragedies, including his grandmother being forced to kneel on broken glass, as well as political executions in rural fields.
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Claire Lai said these violent and oppressive scenes have continued to haunt her father like a nightmare. She added that these childhood experiences were a key reason for his later life direction, including selling Giordano and entering the media industry to “promote the value of freedom.”
She said her father has always been her hero: “My dad was my hero. So he still is my hero.” Regarding whether Trump could successfully secure her father’s release, she said she has more confidence than six years ago and believes Trump and his administration can help free him. She even described Trump as the “liberator-in-chief,” believing he is the only person currently capable of restoring her father’s freedom.
Hope for return to the US aboard Air Force One
In interviews with CBS and The Wall Street Journal, Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, said that his father’s alleged offenses stem from participating in a 2020 June 4th vigil commemorating victims of the Tiananmen crackdown, charged as unlawful assembly, as well as charges related to the Apple Daily case involving alleged collusion with foreign forces. The trial has dragged on for years and is being conducted without a jury.
Sebastien Lai said that for his 78-year-old father, a 20-year sentence is equivalent to a death sentence. He also revealed that his father has been denied access to Mass and Holy Communion, which he said is intended to break him “spiritually, religiously, and physically.”
Before Trump’s trip to Beijing, Sebastien and Claire Lai published a joint article on Tuesday, May 12th titled “President Trump, Save Our Father,” urging Trump to seek Jimmy Lai’s release and expressing hope that Lai could be on “Air Force One” on Trump’s return flight.
Over 100 US lawmakers urge release
According to The Washington Post, on the eve of Trump’s visit to China, more than 100 Republican and Democratic members of Congress sent a joint letter to the White House urging Trump to raise Jimmy Lai’s health condition with the Hong Kong government. They argued that the 78-year-old Lai should be granted humanitarian parole, released, reunited with his family, and given appropriate medical care.
Lawmakers stated that Trump’s face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping was an important opportunity to pressure Beijing, and they hoped he would directly raise the issue. The letter said: “Your direct engagement is critical to securing Mr. Lai’s immediate release on humanitarian parole, so he can receive appropriate medical care and reunite with his family.”
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