US President Donald Trump said he is not optimistic about securing the release of jailed Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai after discussing the case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Trump shared the assessment with reporters aboard Air Force One while returning to the United States from the summit. He quoted Xi as saying that Lai is a tough case because the two sides had been through a lot.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun reiterated Beijing's position that Lai was a key instigator of anti-China activities in Hong Kong. Guo added that Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs and that the central government supports the local judiciary.
During his 2024 presidential campaign Trump had pledged to secure Lai's release. Lai is serving a 20-year sentence for violating Hong Kong's national security law.
