The children of jailed Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai said on Monday that any planned visit by the U.S. President Donald Trump to China later this year could play a decisive role in efforts to secure their father’s release, hours after a Hong Kong court imposed a 20-year prison sentence on the veteran pro-democracy figure.
Lai, 78, founder of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper and a long-time critic of Beijing, was sentenced under Hong Kong’s national security law, legislation imposed by China in 2020 following mass protests in the city. The law has been widely used to prosecute opposition politicians, activists and journalists, and has sharply curtailed public dissent in the semi-autonomous territory.
Speaking to reporters from Washington, Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, said the family viewed Trump’s mooted trip to Beijing in April as a critical diplomatic opening. Trump has publicly said several times that he intends to visit China, though Chinese authorities have not confirmed any such plans.
“The president has said multiple times that this is a case that he cares about,” Sebastien Lai said. “We are in a situation where the April visit will be, more obviously, be crucial, and, hopefully, my father will still be OK health-wise until that point.”
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The sentencing marks the culmination of one of the most prominent prosecutions brought under the security law. Lai has been in custody for more than five years, including extended periods of pretrial detention. His national security case, which centred on charges including collusion with foreign forces, followed earlier convictions related to unauthorised assembly and fraud.
According to family members, Lai’s physical condition has deteriorated significantly during his incarceration. Sebastien Lai said his father’s health had declined sharply, describing him as frail and warning that the lengthy sentence could effectively amount to life imprisonment.
“This is a man who is, unfortunately, very close to dying,” he said. “He’s a man who has gone through a tremendous amount. His body has deteriorated.”
The ruling is expected to further complicate relations between Washington and Beijing at a time when the two governments are seeking to stabilize ties strained by disputes over trade, technology, Taiwan and security in the Asia-Pacific. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet at some point this year, according to officials in both countries, though no dates have been formally announced.
Following the sentencing, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the outcome, calling it “an unjust and tragic conclusion to this case.” In a statement, Rubio urged Chinese authorities to grant Lai humanitarian parole, citing the length of his detention and the impact of the case on his family.
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“Jimmy Lai and his family have suffered enough after a trial lasting two years and his detention for more than five years,” Rubio said.
Trump has previously expressed sympathy for Lai. After his conviction in December, the U.S. president said he felt “so badly” about the case and that he had raised it directly with Xi, asking him to consider releasing the media tycoon. Lai’s daughter, Claire Lai, said the family remained uncertain about whether such appeals would succeed.
“We’re hopeful but we don’t know,” she said, referring to the possibility of Trump securing her father’s release through negotiations with Beijing.
Chinese and Hong Kong officials have rejected foreign criticism of the case, insisting that the prosecution was conducted in accordance with the law. Chris Tang, Hong Kong’s secretary for security, accused what he described as “external forces” of misrepresenting the court’s decision and ignoring the evidence presented at trial.
“We will refute baseless allegations and smear resolutely by presenting the truth and facts for all to see,” Tang said in comments reported by local media.
Beijing has consistently defended the national security law, arguing that it restored stability to Hong Kong after months of unrest in 2019 and that it targets only a small minority accused of endangering national security. Western governments and rights groups say the legislation has eroded the freedoms guaranteed to Hong Kong under the “one country, two systems” framework agreed ahead of the city’s return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Lai’s case has become a focal point for international criticism of the law’s application. In an interview with the Associated Press in London, Sebastien Lai urged global leaders to continue raising his father’s case in meetings with Chinese officials, describing it as a test of Beijing’s willingness to engage with the international community on human rights concerns.
“I think my father’s case is the litmus test to whatever engagement we have with China,” he said.
The British government said last month that Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised Lai’s situation directly with Xi during a visit to China. Following Monday’s sentencing, UK officials said they would “rapidly engage further” with Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, without providing details on what steps might follow.
For Lai’s family, the focus has now shifted from legal appeals to humanitarian considerations. Sebastien Lai said the 20-year sentence left little realistic prospect that his father would ever be released without political intervention.
