Jimmy Lai’s daughter praises Trump for mentioning imprisoned father to Xi
Key takeaways
- He truly is a man of his words, Claire Lai said.
- A panel of judges convicted Jimmy Lai, 78, in December on two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
- He was sentenced in February to 20 years in prison, the longest punishment given so far under China s national security law.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
The younger Lai told News Nation s Elizabeth Vargas that she and her family do not know the details of the conversation between Trump and Xi — but she wanted to stress how grateful I am and we are [to] President Trump and his administration.
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.
A panel of judges convicted Jimmy Lai, 78, in December on two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The case and trial were one of the country s most high-profile examples of the government s crackdown on dissenters in Hong Kong.