Jimmy Lai’s children said Monday that the next diplomatic window—potentially an April trip by President Donald Trump to Beijing—could be pivotal in securing the release of their father, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after Hong Kong convictions tied to a Beijing-imposed national security law. Sebastien Lai, speaking about Trump during a call with reporters, said the president had repeatedly indicated he cared about the case and argued that “the April visit will be, more obviously, be crucial” in negotiating for the release, hoping their father remains well enough to benefit from the effort. Claire Lai said she and her family were “hopeful but we don’t know” whether Trump would be able to win her father’s freedom.
In comments about Jimmy Lai’s health, Sebastien Lai said the 78-year-old was “very close to dying,” and that his “body has deteriorated.” After the sentencing, the family urged humanitarian consideration, with Sebastien Lai saying in an interview that world leaders should raise Lai’s case directly when meeting Xi Jinping or visiting China. He told The Associated Press that he hoped that pressure would help and described Lai’s situation as a “litmus test” for how engagement with China is conducted. The son also said in a separate set of remarks that the length of the sentence was hard to reconcile with Lai’s age, warning that in the conditions he has been kept in, his father might die before any long period of confinement ends.
The sentencing in Hong Kong, the AP reported, is expected to strain an already fragile U.S.-China relationship that the White House and Beijing have sought to stabilize amid disputes over tariffs, export restrictions and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Trump has said multiple times that he will visit Beijing this April, but China has not confirmed the trip. Trump’s earlier public comments after Lai’s December conviction included saying he felt “so badly” and that he had asked Xi to consider releasing Lai, according to the AP report.
Rubio, in a statement after the sentencing, called the outcome “an unjust and tragic conclusion” and urged Chinese authorities to grant humanitarian parole. Rubio said Lai and his family “have suffered enough,” citing the trial lasting two years and Lai’s detention for more than five years. The family said they have drawn hope from those U.S. statements and remarks, with Sebastien Lai describing Trump’s past comments as having “given my family a lot of hope,” and saying the focus now is “saving his father’s life.”
Chinese officials, for their part, rejected the calls for special consideration. Chris Tang, Hong Kong’s secretary for security, accused “external forces” of ignoring the facts and making biased criticisms of court decisions, adding that the government would “refute baseless allegations and smearing resolutely by presenting the truth and facts for all to see.” Tang’s remarks came as the legal case moved from verdict to sentencing, and as international officials weighed how to raise the matter amid broader diplomatic negotiations.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government also said it raised Jimmy Lai’s case with Xi during a visit to China last month. U.K. officials said they would “rapidly engage further” following Monday’s sentencing, but the AP report said it was not clear what those next steps would entail. The different approaches—U.S. and U.K. officials urging humanitarian parole while Chinese officials pushed back on criticism—highlight the difficulties of negotiating the case through formal diplomacy as Trump and Xi are expected to meet later this year.
Hui reported from London.