U.S. President Donald Trump has said Chinese leader Xi Jinping may give consideration to freeing the jailed pastor, but the case of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy publisher imprisoned in Hong Kong, is “tougher” for Xi.
“I think he’s giving very serious consideration to the pastor,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on May 15, when asked whether he and Xi discussed political prisoners in China and their potential release.
The U.S. president confirmed that he also raised Lai’s case during the visit, but that the Chinese leader described it as “a tougher one.”
“He said Jimmy Lai is a tough one for him,” Trump said. “He went through a lot.”…