Trump says Xi signaled release of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai unlikely

US President Donald Trump stated on May 15, 2026, that Chinese President Xi Jinping indicated the release of imprisoned Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai is unlikely.

Trump provided these details while speaking to reporters on board Air Force One following his departure from Beijing Capital Airport on May 15, 2026, after a high-stakes summit in Beijing.

When questioned about the status of political prisoners in China, Trump noted that while Xi Jinping would strongly consider the release of a pastor from an underground church, the situation regarding Jimmy Lai was more complicated.

Regarding the fate of the media mogul, Trump said, I did bring him up, it’s a tougher one for him, it’s a tougher one. He further added that Xi told me, Jimmy Lai is a tough one for him to do.

Legal Status of Jimmy Lai

Jimmy Lai, 78, is the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper. In December, Lai was found guilty on charges of seditious publication and foreign collusion.

He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, a penalty that represents the harshest sentence delivered to date under the national security law. Beijing imposed this law on Hong Kong following widespread pro-democracy protests in 2019, a move that drew international condemnation.

Case of Jin Mingri

In contrast to the outlook for Lai, Trump stated on May 15, 2026, that Xi Jinping promised He’s going to strongly consider the pastor, referring to Jin Mingri.

Jin Mingri is the founder of the Zion Church, a prominent unregistered underground church in Beijing. Jin founded the church in 2007, and the congregation grew to include 1,500 members before Chinese authorities pressured the church to shutter in 2018.

Despite the closure of its physical location, the church maintained an online presence that expanded during the Covid pandemic, eventually gaining a following across 40 Chinese cities. Jin was arrested on October 10 on suspicion of the illegal use of information networks as part of a sweeping national crackdown.

Analysis of Diplomatic Efforts

Eric Lai, a senior fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, observed that although the case of Jimmy Lai did not appear to be a priority during the summit, the fact that Trump raised the issue remains significant.

Obviously, the CCP does not compromise on its perception of regime security and they have never changed their attitudes and positioning towards Jimmy Lai and his imprisonment, Eric Lai

Eric Lai further suggested that the US government’s continued focus on Jimmy Lai and other political prisoners in China is dependent on external factors.

That said, it is also evident that international attention and internal pressure in US society remains essential to the US government keeping an agenda on Jimmy Lai alongside other political prisoners in China, Eric Lai