Trump says he will raise jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai’s case in talks with Xi, backing his release while saying Lai caused turmoil.
Newsroom (12/05/2026 Gaudium Press ) President Donald Trump said May 11 that he plans to raise the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai during his upcoming visit to China, signaling renewed U.S. attention to one of the most prominent cases tied to Hong Kong’s national security law. At the same time, Trump suggested that the Catholic media tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner had been a disruptive figure for Beijing, saying Lai “caused a lot of bedlam.”
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked whether he intended to discuss Lai’s case during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I’ll bring them both up,” Trump said, referring not only to Lai but also to Ezra Jin Mingri, the founder and pastor of Zion Church, whose imprisonment has drawn criticism from U.S. officials concerned about religious freedom in China.
Trump framed both men as political prisoners. The administration, he said, is seeking the release of “people that are really innocent people, and they’re being held captive.” U.S. officials have repeatedly characterized the charges against Lai as fabricated, arguing they exemplify efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to silence political dissent.
Yet Trump’s remarks also reflected ambivalence. Describing Lai’s role in challenging Beijing, Trump told reporters that the publisher had stirred turmoil for Chinese authorities. He drew a comparison to former FBI Director James Comey, whom the Trump administration has sought to prosecute over a social media post Trump claimed was threatening—a charge Comey has denied. “It’s like saying to me, if (James) Comey ever went to jail, would you let him out?” Trump said, before adding, “Jimmy Lai isn’t that way.”
Trump continued by acknowledging Lai’s intentions while emphasizing the impact of his activism. “Jimmy Lai, caused lots of turmoil for China,” he said. “He tried to do the right thing. He wasn’t successful. Went to jail, and people would like him out. And I’d like to see him get out, too. So I’ll bring him up again. I have brought him up.”
Lai, the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, became one of the most visible advocates for democratic freedoms in Hong Kong, including freedom of the press and expression. Hong Kong was designated a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997 following the end of British rule, with guarantees of a high degree of autonomy. Those guarantees were widely seen as eroding after mass pro-democracy protests erupted in 2019.
In response to the unrest, China imposed a national security law the following year. Critics say the law has been used to suppress critics of the Chinese Communist Party. Under its provisions, Lai was arrested in August 2020 and has remained imprisoned since December of that year. He pleaded not guilty to the charges but was convicted on Dec. 15. On Feb. 9, the 78-year-old was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Trump also returned to the case of Jin, highlighting the personal toll of imprisonment. “There’s another gentleman, a pastor, as you know, with a beautiful daughter and son-in-law that would like to see him get out,” Trump said. “I’m going to bring his name up.”
The comments follow a May 5 interview Trump gave to conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt, in which he said he would advocate for Lai during his China trip. In that same interview, Trump renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff’s opposition to the Iran war, underscoring the wide-ranging nature of issues Trump has woven into his foreign policy messaging.
Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on May 13. His decision to publicly signal that he will raise the cases of Lai and Jin suggests that human rights and religious freedom concerns will feature—at least rhetorically—in his engagement with Chinese leaders, even as his remarks reflect the complexities and contradictions of his approach.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV News
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