More than 100 lawmakers from both parties have called on President Donald J. Trump to press Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the release of Hong Kong pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Over 100 U.S. lawmakers from both parties are urging President Donald J. Trump to advocate for the release of Hong Kong media tycoon and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) critic Jimmy Lai during his upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. 📺 DETAIL: In early February this year, Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a CCP-controlled Hong Kong court. Lai is an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a major funder of pro-democracy parties, and an avowed Catholic. In response to the sentence, a cross-party group of United States lawmakers, led by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), signed a letter urging President Trump to advocate for Lai’s release. The letter emphasized the publisher’s declining health and described his imprisonment as tantamount to a death sentence, citing the 78-year-old Lai’s advanced age and the harsh prison conditions. Lai, founder of the now-closed pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, was sentenced under the National Security Law for Hong Kong (NSL). The NSL is a Beijing-imposed law that effectively criminalizes criticism of the CCP. Lai’s sentence is the harshest penalty handed down under the law so far. The letter was sent to the President last week. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “Given Jimmy Lai’s advanced age and ailing health, we urge President Trump—a tenacious, vocal advocate for Jimmy’s freedom—to again raise Jimmy’s case and call for his humanitarian release during his upcoming meeting with General Secretary Xi Jinping.” – Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). 🎯 IMPACT: President Trump has previously committed to addressing the issue during his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this week. Legislators and campaigners have widely condemned Lai’s sentence as political imprisonment. In early March last year, Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, voiced hope that President Trump would assist in securing his father’s release. |
My friend Jimmy Lai is wasting away in SOLITARY CONFINEMENT because he cares about freedom and democracy.
That’s why the CCP sentenced him to 20 MORE YEARS and expects him to DIE in prison.
Jimmy did NOTHING WRONG. This goes against everything we believe in as Americans. I… pic.twitter.com/EA8CPKd5OH
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) May 11, 2026
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