Trump says Jimmy Lai’s release unlikely as China bears ‘great level of hatred’ for jailed Hong Kong tycoon

Donald Trump said China was unlikely to free Jimmy Lai because it harboured a “great level of hatred” for the jailed Hong Kong media mogul.

Speaking ahead of his meeting with Xi Jinping next week, the US president recalled the Chinese leader telling him earlier this year that Lai was the leader of the pro-democracy agitation in Hong Kong which had caused “tremendous distress” to Beijing.

Mr Trump and Mr Xi are due to meet for the third time this year at next week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen.

The president has been under pressure to secure the release of the 78-year-old British businessman who has been jailed for 20 years on collusion and sedition charges for his role in the 2019 protests in the city.

Lai was arrested and his Apple Daily newspaper raided and shuttered when Beijing responded to the violent agitation with a sweeping crackdown under a newly imposed national security law.

Asked during an interview with Salem News Channel whether he would raise Lai’s case with Mr Xi at their next meeting, Mr Trump said there was “a great level of hatred there”.

“President Xi explained what happened with Hong Kong,” he said, “and that Jimmy Lai was the leader and it caused them tremendous distress”.

Mr Trump said he had raised other detention cases with Mr Xi, including that of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, the leader of an underground Chinese church who was later released.

“I have gotten others out. Jimmy Lai’s a little bit of a different story,” Mr Trump said.

“He’s agreed to other people, he has not agreed to Jimmy Lai,” the US president said, referring to Mr Xi.

He added that there was “great animosity there”.

Mr Trump promised to secure Lai’s release during his campaign for a second presidential term in October 2024, describing it as an “easy” task.

Lai has been held in solitary confinement since his arrest on 10 August 2020. His family has expressed concerns about his deteriorating health.

Lai suffers from diabetes and heart ailment and his family says he is allowed only 45 minutes a day for exercise outside his cell. His son Sebastien Lai said information about his father had become increasingly scarce.