The President of the United States, Donald Trump, confirmed this week that he personally raised with Chinese leader Xi Jinping the situation of Catholic businessman and activist Jimmy Lai, imprisoned in Hong Kong for years for his defense of democracy and press freedom.
After the meeting in Beijing, Trump told journalists that Xi described Lai’s case as “difficult,” although he assured that the Chinese leader would also be considering the possible release of other prisoners, including Christian pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, detained by the Chinese communist regime.
Jimmy Lai, founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence accused of alleged violations of the national security law imposed by Beijing in Hong Kong.
Read also: Jimmy Lai, Catholic businessman and critic of the regime, is declared guilty in Hong Kong
Trump acknowledges the difficulty of securing Jimmy Lai’s release
After the meeting with Xi Jinping, Trump explained to the press that the Chinese president did not completely close the door on the matter, although he admitted the political complications surrounding the case.
“I don’t want to mislead anyone,” Trump declared. “Xi Jinping said that Jimmy Lai is a difficult case for him.”
The U.S. president added that the Chinese leader explained to him that the regime “went through a lot” related to the protests and the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, which is why any decision regarding Lai would be considered especially sensitive.
Nevertheless, Trump stated that Xi Jinping appears to be giving “very serious consideration” to the situation of pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, another Christian persecuted by the communist authorities.
Jimmy Lai’s daughter thanks Trump for his support
Claire Lai, daughter of the imprisoned Catholic businessman, expressed her gratitude to the U.S. president and his administration for continuing to apply public pressure in favor of her father’s release.
In comments to EWTN News, she assured that her family remains hopeful that Trump will ultimately secure Jimmy Lai’s release.
“Of course, the dream was that my father would return on Air Force One, but I still have a great deal of confidence that he and his administration will achieve the release of my father,” she said.
Claire Lai also recalled that Trump had already mentioned the case publicly during a visit to South Korea at the end of 2025 and welcomed the fact that he had again raised it directly with Xi Jinping.
“He is a symbol of faith and hope”
Jimmy Lai’s daughter also offered a testimony deeply marked by the Christian faith of her family. Coinciding with the feast of the Ascension, she expressed her wish that the Holy Spirit would touch the Chinese president’s heart.
“I hope that the Holy Spirit may move President Xi’s heart and that he may see the wisdom of releasing my elderly and sick father, who has done nothing wrong,” she declared.
Claire Lai defended her father’s innocence and recalled that he always advocated non-violence, press freedom and democracy, and never supported Hong Kong’s independence.
“Everything he did was perfectly legal when he did it,” she said, and also denounced that many of the accusations against him refer to events prior to the entry into force of the controversial national security law.