Trump Clashes With Xi During Summit Over This

President Trump vows to confront Xi Jinping directly on Jimmy Lai’s 20-year prison sentence during their Beijing summit this week, spotlighting Beijing’s crackdown on free speech.

Story Highlights

Jimmy Lai, 78-year-old Hong Kong media founder, sentenced to 20 years on February 9, 2026, for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publish seditious materials under China’s National Security Law.[1]
Trump pledges to raise Lai’s case alongside Taiwan arms sales in meeting with Xi, acknowledging Lai “caused lots of turmoil for China” but pushing for his release.[1][2][4]
Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers, including 105 signers led by Rep. Chris Smith and Sen. Rick Scott, urge Trump to seek Lai’s humanitarian release.[3]
Lai’s family warns the sentence amounts to a death penalty given his age, diabetes, hypertension, and solitary confinement since 2020.
International bodies like the UN and Human Rights Watch condemn the verdict as a violation of free expression, while China defends it as protecting national security.[4]

Jimmy Lai’s Conviction and Harsh Sentence

On December 15, 2025, Hong Kong’s High Court convicted Jimmy Lai of two counts of conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces under the National Security Law and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications. The court sentenced the 78-year-old founder of the shuttered Apple Daily newspaper to 20 years in prison on February 9, 2026—the longest term under the 2020 law imposed by Beijing.[1] Judges described Lai as the mastermind, citing his articles, interviews, and ties to groups like Stand with Hong Kong that lobbied for sanctions against China. Co-defendants received 6 to 10 years.[1]

Lai already serves a separate 5-year, 9-month fraud sentence, with the new term running consecutively. Held in solitary confinement since December 2020, he faces health declines from diabetes and heart issues, prompting family claims of a “death sentence.” China’s Foreign Ministry stated Lai’s actions endangered national security and Hong Kong’s stability.[1]

Trump’s Pledge to Challenge Xi Jinping

President Donald Trump announced he will discuss Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment when he meets Xi Jinping in Beijing this week.[1][2][4] Trump compared Lai to James Comey, noting Lai “tried to do the right thing” despite causing turmoil for China.[2] In Oval Office remarks, Trump said he would raise the case alongside Taiwan and arms sales, expressing hope for Lai’s release.[4][5] This follows Trump’s prior 2025 call with Xi on the matter.[1]

U.S. lawmakers amplified pressure with a May 8, 2026, letter from 105 bipartisan members, including Rep. Chris Smith and Sen. Rick Scott, calling for Lai’s humanitarian release ahead of the summit.[3] They portray the trial as politically motivated, urging Trump to prioritize press freedom and human rights in talks.[3]

Global Reactions and Hong Kong’s Security Law Crackdown

The United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk called for Lai’s immediate release, stating the sentence violates international law.[4] Human Rights Watch labeled charges “bogus,” claiming 161 Apple Daily articles fueled distrust of authorities. The International Press Institute condemned the 20-year term against its 2025 World Press Freedom Hero.[3] Amnesty International decried it as an attack on expression.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would raise the release of Jimmy Lai and Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri with Chinese President Xi Jinping as families of Chinese political prisoners gathered outside the White House in the rain to advocate for their release.

Trump is set to travel to… pic.twitter.com/ZNfluvgjP1

— EWTN News (@EWTNews) May 12, 2026

Hong Kong’s National Security Law, enacted in 2020, has led to 304 arrests and 176 convictions by mid-2025, targeting media like Apple Daily. Critics see it silencing dissent in the former British territory; Beijing views it as restoring stability post-2019 protests. Lai’s case underscores tensions as Trump navigates U.S.-China relations, balancing trade, Taiwan, and human rights without eroding American leverage.[1][2]