Claire Lai, the daughter of jailed media mogul Jimmy Lai, expressed gratitude Friday after President Donald Trump brought up her father's detention during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. Speaking to NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas, Lai said her family remains in the dark about the specifics of the exchange but wanted to highlight their appreciation.
“He truly is a man of his words,” Claire Lai said. “This is the second time that he has brought up my father directly with President Xi and, you know, it’s – he has shown a continuous commitment to freeing my father and we are just so endlessly grateful, endlessly grateful for it.”
Jimmy Lai, 78, was convicted in December on two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The case is widely seen as a landmark in Beijing's crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong. In February, he received a 20-year prison sentence under the city's national security law, the harshest penalty handed down so far. He has already spent over five years behind bars.
The elder Lai's legal team and family argue that his age and health issues—including hypertension and diabetes—make continued detention particularly severe. The Trump administration has previously condemned the verdict, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it a “tragic conclusion” that underscores Beijing's willingness to silence advocates of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, in defiance of its commitments under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Bipartisan pressure on Trump to raise the case had been building ahead of his diplomatic trip to Beijing. The president confirmed he would bring up both Lai and imprisoned Christian pastor Ezra Jin with Xi. The House passed a resolution Wednesday, 414-0, urging Trump to secure the release of Lai, Jin, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, and Uyghur American activist Dr. Gulshan Abbas. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), calls for verifiable proof of life and access to independent legal counsel, family communication, and medical care for the detainees.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has also called for Lai's release, noting his British citizenship. Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised the case directly with Xi during their meeting in January. The international dimension adds further complexity to a case that has become a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations.
Trump's decision to spotlight Lai's imprisonment comes amid broader tensions over human rights and territorial disputes. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has said Trump delivered a clear message to Xi on the status quo in Taiwan, signaling that the administration is pressing Beijing on multiple fronts.
For Claire Lai and her family, the president's repeated intervention offers a rare glimmer of hope. “We are just so endlessly grateful,” she said, echoing a sentiment that resonates across the bipartisan coalition pushing for her father's freedom.
