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Trump urges China’s Xi to free jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai

Al JazeeraCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete by David D. LeeDecember 16, 2025 at 03:50 AM
Trump urges China’s Xi to free jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai
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In December 2025, US President Donald Trump appealed to Chinese President Xi Jinping for the release of Jimmy Lai, a 78-year-old Hong Kong media tycoon. Lai was recently convicted on three charges under Hong Kong's national security law, a verdict widely criticized as a blow to press freedom. Trump stated he raised the issue with Xi, possibly during their meeting in South Korea in October, citing concerns about Lai's health after he has spent over 1,800 days in prison. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the conviction, accusing Beijing of suppressing dissent and urging Lai's release on humanitarian grounds. Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, faces a possible life sentence.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context
Hong Kong ×350% Xi Jinping ×260% Donald Trump ×370% Jimmy Lai ×480%

Keywords

jimmy lai 100% hong kong 90% national security law 80% china 70% xi jinping 70% trump 60% press freedom 60% pro-democracy 50% political prisoners 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative
Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source
Al Jazeera
Political Lean
Center (0.00)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%
Geographic Perspective
Hong Kong

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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jimmy laihong kongnational security lawchinaxi jinpingtrumppress freedompro-democracypolitical prisoners
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