Washington — In a heartfelt appeal before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Sebastien Lai asked President Trump to intervene on behalf of his father, Hong Kong media founder Jimmy Lai, who is serving a 20‑year sentence under the territory’s national security law.
Family’s plea at the hearing
Speaking to the commission on Wednesday, Sebastien described his 78‑year‑old father as the oldest political prisoner in Hong Kong and warned that, without a release, Lai is likely to die behind bars. “Let Jimmy Lai come home to his family and let him sit beside his daughter in her hardest moment,” he said, referencing his sister Claire, who is undergoing chemotherapy in London after a cancer diagnosis.
Trump’s prior involvement
President Trump has previously raised Lai’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping, including during a state visit to China in May. “He told me that would be a tough one,” Trump told reporters on the flight home, acknowledging the difficulty of securing Lai’s freedom.
Context of Xi’s upcoming visit
Xi Jinping is slated to meet President Trump in Washington on Sept. 24, marking his first visit to the U.S. in more than a decade. The timing of the hearing underscores the administration’s effort to bring human‑rights concerns to the forefront of the bilateral agenda.
Hong Kong’s legal backdrop
Jimmy Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing, founded the pro‑democracy newspaper Apple Daily, which was forced to shut down after the 2019 protests. He was convicted in February under the national security law imposed by Beijing, a statute widely condemned by Western governments as a tool to suppress dissent.
Broader implications
The hearing highlights the Trump administration’s willingness to confront China on human‑rights issues while pursuing broader diplomatic engagement. By foregrounding Lai’s case, the administration signals that religious liberty, family unity, and individual freedom remain central to U.S. foreign policy.
Advocates for Hong Kong’s democratic movement hope the upcoming summit will yield concrete steps toward Lai’s release, while critics caution that geopolitical considerations may limit the administration’s leverage.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
