Donald Trump and Jinping

Recently, China’s President Jinping and America’s President Donald Trump met. After this meeting, Reuters quoted sources as saying that Trump has asked Jinping to get tycoon Jimmy Lai out of jail. America is currently using its full force to get Jinping’s enemy and media tycoon Jimmy Lai lodged in Hong Kong jail.

According to Reuters, US President Donald Trump, during his meeting in South Korea last week, made a direct appeal to Chinese President Xi Jinping to release Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Trump did not talk about any specific deal for Lai’s release, but expressed concern about the health and well-being of Lai, 77, who has been in prison for a long time.

Trump talked about Lai’s release

According to sources, Trump discussed this issue with Jinping for full 5 minutes. The administration official said President Trump raised Jimmy Lai’s case, as he has previously said. He further said that both President Trump and President Jinping discussed this.

A third source said Trump raised the issue and Jinping took note of it. According to the source, Trump suggested that Lai’s release would be beneficial to US-China relations and would also improve China’s international image.

This direct intervention of Trump has come at a time when Jimmy Lai is waiting for the verdict of his case. This case is going on under the National Security Act enacted after the pro-democracy protests of 2019. It is considered a symbol of China’s strict action on freedom and rights in Hong Kong.

What is Jimmy Lai’s crime?

Jimmy Lai, who founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, faces two charges — conspiracy to collude with foreign powers and conspiracy to publish incendiary material. However, he has denied these allegations.

The White House refused to say whether the Lai issue was discussed in the meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping.

What did China say?

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China’s embassy in Washington, said he was not aware of anything specific about Lai at the meeting, but said Lai’s crimes have seriously damaged Hong Kong’s stability. He said, any attempt to interfere in the judicial process or weaken the rule of law in Hong Kong will not succeed.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference in Beijing on Thursday that Jimmy Lai was the “key planner and participant” of the “anti-China riots” in Hong Kong. Mao Ning said, “The Chinese central government fully supports the Hong Kong judiciary in performing its duties in accordance with the law.”

He further said, “Hong Kong’s affairs are China’s internal affairs and no interference by external forces will be tolerated.”

Who is Jimmy Lai?

Jimmy Lai is a British citizen, his case has become a cause of tension between Washington and Beijing. Trump had said during his presidential election campaign last year that he would “100%” kick Jimmy Lai out of China.

Lai has been jailed for more than 1,700 days, according to his family and human rights groups. Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have previously said it is important to let the local legal process take its course and that Lai be getting a fair trial.

Lai is currently in Lai Chi Kok prison awaiting verdict after the trial ends at the end of August. If he is found guilty, he may be sentenced to life imprisonment. His lawyers told the court that Lai has a problem of heart palpitations, for which he has been given a heart monitor and medicines.