'He's old and not well': Trump says he asked Xi to 'consider' Jimmy Lai's release

US President Donald Trump has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging him to release imprisoned Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, saying that he is concerned about the 78-year-old’s health.

“I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release. He’s an older man, and he’s not well. So I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens," Trump told reporters.

Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, where he is believed to have raised Lai’s case. Following Trump’s remarks on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the verdict highlighted Beijing’s resolve to silence dissent.

Lai was convicted in a landmark national security case on Monday. A panel of three government-approved judges found the 78-year-old guilty of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and to publish seditious material.

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Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges. Sentencing is expected to take place on a later date. Under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law, he could face up to life imprisonment.

The founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper has been detained since 2020, with his prosecution widely viewed by critics as a sign of shrinking political freedoms following the national security law imposed by Beijing after the large-scale and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests of 2019.

Prosecutors alleged that Lai orchestrated two separate conspiracies aimed at urging foreign governments to impose “sanctions or blockade” measures or carry out “hostile activities” against Hong Kong or China. He was also accused of overseeing the publication of content that authorities said had “excited disaffection” towards the government.

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Diplomatic representatives, including officials from the United States, the European Union and France, were seen lining up to enter the courtroom.

“We’re here to observe… to signal close interest in these cases,” said Matthias Kaufmann, deputy head of the EU Office to Hong Kong and Macao, ahead of the hearing.