CPJ urges Trump to press Xi on Jimmy Lai release

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 12 May 2026 |  JP Global Monitoring

CPJ urged President Trump to raise the case of jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai with Xi Jinping during Beijing talks, seeking his release and commitments on human rights. Lai, 78, is serving a 20-year sentence under the National Security Law.

Summary

NEW YORK—The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to make the release of jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai a priority issue during his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week, intensifying international pressure over Hong Kong’s deteriorating press freedom climate.

Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in February on charges of collusion with foreign forces and sedition under Hong Kong’s National Security Law. Rights groups, media organizations, and several Western governments have repeatedly condemned the case, arguing that it criminalizes journalism and political dissent.

International pressure grows ahead of Beijing talks

The Committee to Protect Journalists said Trump’s planned discussions with Xi on May 14-15 should include “concrete commitments” from Beijing regarding Lai’s release and broader human rights concerns. CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said Lai’s age and worsening health conditions make the case increasingly urgent.

“Trade talks and normalization of U.S.-China relations should be conditional on credible efforts from Beijing to address human rights violations, including the arbitrary detention of journalists,” Ginsberg said in a public statement released Tuesday.

More than 100 U.S. lawmakers also sent a letter to Trump ahead of the visit, urging him to seek Lai’s immediate release and warning that his declining health could turn the case into an “irreversible tragedy.” Lai reportedly suffers from hypertension, diabetes, and cataracts, while family members and lawyers say prolonged solitary confinement and limited access to exercise and daylight have severely affected his health.

The case has become one of the most internationally recognized symbols of Hong Kong’s political transformation since Beijing imposed the sweeping National Security Law in 2020 following mass pro-democracy protests.

Apple Daily closure reshaped Hong Kong media

Apple Daily, once one of Hong Kong’s most influential pro-democracy newspapers, ceased operations in 2021 after authorities froze company assets and arrested senior executives under national security allegations. The closure sent shockwaves through Hong Kong’s media sector and accelerated concerns about self-censorship, newsroom closures, and the shrinking space for independent journalism.

International press freedom groups say Lai’s conviction reflects the broader erosion of judicial independence and media freedom in the territory. Critics argue that Hong Kong’s legal environment has increasingly aligned with mainland China’s political priorities, particularly in cases involving national security and dissent.

Hong Kong authorities and Beijing officials have consistently defended the National Security Law, arguing it restored stability after the 2019 unrest and does not undermine legitimate journalism. Chinese officials have repeatedly rejected foreign criticism of Lai’s prosecution, describing it as interference in domestic affairs.

Trump previously raised Lai’s case during a meeting with Xi in South Korea in October 2025 and later publicly pledged to “save” the publisher during ongoing national security proceedings.

Business and diplomatic concerns deepen

The case also carries wider implications beyond press freedom. Hong Kong remains a major international financial center hosting thousands of foreign businesses, including more than 1,400 U.S. companies. Analysts and advocacy groups say concerns about transparency, judicial independence, and legal predictability could affect international confidence in the city.

Human rights advocates have increasingly linked Lai’s imprisonment to broader geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing, particularly as both governments navigate trade disputes, technology restrictions, and diplomatic competition in Asia.

CPJ and other advocacy organizations continue to call for Lai’s immediate and unconditional release, arguing that continued detention risks further damaging Hong Kong’s global reputation as an open business and media hub.

ATTRIBUTION: Reporting by JournalismPakistan, based on publicly available statements from the Committee to Protect Journalists (May 12, 2026), U.S. lawmakers’ public letter disclosures (May 2026), and prior public reporting on Jimmy Lai’s trial and imprisonment.

PHOTO: AFP/Anthony Wallace/Circulated by CPJ