Jimmy Lai’s Daughter Sees New Hope After Trump Raises His Case With Xi

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping about freeing political prisoners, among them Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai and American Min Zin. Asked about the subject in the Oval Office by Elizabeth Mitchell of The Daily Signal, Trump confirmed the topic came up and voiced hope that the exchanges will prove productive. The remarks matter because Lai, a Beijing critic and devout Catholic, is still held in a Hong Kong prison after years of campaigning by his relatives, according to Daily Wire.

Lai's daughter, Claire Lai, welcomed the news. Claire Lai told The Daily Wire the confirmation leaves optimism that Jimmy Lai will go free during Trump's second term, and credited the administration with steady dedication to the cause. Staying outside China for fear of reprisal, Claire Lai was recently diagnosed with cancer and has started treatment in the United Kingdom. The hardest part so far, Claire Lai said, has been hearing that Jimmy Lai weeps in prison over the diagnosis.

The issue is not new for Trump. He pressed Lai's case with Xi during a spring trip to China, where he also sought freedom for Pastor Ezra Jin, who was later released.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Daily Wire’s reporting. Read the full story at Daily Wire →