Overview
- Trump, speaking Friday on Air Force One after the summit, said Xi called freeing Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai “a tough one” while signaling serious consideration for a detained pastor.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States seeks a positive response from China and would accept any arrangement that secures Lai’s freedom.
- There was no mention of Lai in official White House readouts of the Trump–Xi meetings and no visible deal as the U.S. delegation departed Beijing.
- China’s foreign ministry described Lai as a key instigator of activities that harmed national security and said Hong Kong’s legal matters are China’s internal affairs.
- Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the pro-democracy Apple Daily, is serving a 20-year sentence under the national security law as supporters cite solitary confinement and declining health to press for humanitarian release.