Jimmy Lai’s daughter, “Trump will be the president to free him”
Jimmy Lai’s daughter, “Trump will be the president to free him”
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As high-level talks continue in Beijing between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, supporters are waiting for any sign of movement on imprisoned Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai.
Lai, 78, is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted under the 2020 national security law imposed following Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong. He was also convicted on sedition charges. He denies all charges.
Before departing for the long-anticipated visit, Trump said on multiple occasions that he intended to raise Lai’s case directly with Xi.
Lai’s daughter, Claire Lai, told CNN’s Jim Sciutto she believes the US president is the key figure capable of securing her father’s release.
“President Trump and his administration have shown their commitment to freeing my father on numerous occasions,” she said. “I am extremely confident that he will be the president to free him.”
When asked whether that bipartisan political pressure from the US could influence Beijing’s thinking, Claire said this is not an issue that will “go away as the political winds change.”
“Should my father die a martyr behind bars,” she said, “it will be devastating for the (Chinese Communist) Party… and I hope President Trump, he has a reputation of being a liberating chief, can help them see the wisdom in releasing my father.”
Claire Lai
Her comments come as she says her father’s health continues to deteriorate in custody, with the family receiving limited and increasingly inconsistent updates about his condition.
“My father is aging… the average life expectancy in Hong Kong last year was 82 to 83. He’s turning 79 this year. With that many health issues, we’re just extremely worried.”
Hong Kong response: Responding to concerns about Lai’s condition, the Hong Kong government said “the medical services received by Lai Chee-ying (referring to Lai by his full Chinese name) in custody are adequate and comprehensive…”
“During the plea in mitigation in court on January 12 and 13 this year, the senior counsel representing Lai Chee-ying confirmed repeatedly that Lai had made no complaints about the treatment he received while in custody” and that Lai and other defendants were found guilty after a “fair and open trial.”
The Hong Kong government said Lai and his co-defendants were convicted “after a fair and open trial. Lai does not make any appeal against his conviction or sentence.”
China’s Foreign Ministry in Beijing did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. But a spokesperson this week said, “Lai Chee-ying is the principal mastermind and perpetrator behind the riots that shook Hong Kong. Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs. The central government of China firmly supports the Hong Kong judicial authorities in performing duties in accordance with the law.”