According to insiders, Trump pressured Chinese President Xi to free a jailed Hong Kong media mogul.

When the two leaders met in South Korea last week, US President Donald Trump made a direct plea to China’s Xi Jinping to release imprisoned Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, according to a US administration official and three others briefed on the discussions.

According to one of the persons, Trump spoke more generally about worries about the 77-year-old publishing tycoon’s health and wellbeing following his drawn-out trial on national security charges rather than specifically addressing a deal to free Lai.

The source added that Trump talked about the matter for less than five minutes.

“President Trump brought up Jimmy Lai’s case, just as he said he would,” the government official expressed. “Both President Trump and President Xi engaged in the discussion that followed.”

A third source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the delicate nature of the leaders’ discussion, stated, “It was raised by Trump and noted by Xi.”

According to that source, Trump implied that Lai’s release will improve China’s reputation and US-China ties.

Trump’s direct participation occurs as Lai awaits a decision following a trial that is widely regarded as a representation of China’s suppression of freedoms and rights in the Asian financial center under a national security statute that was put in place following large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.

Lai has entered a not guilty plea to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious material. Lai established the now-defunct pro-democracy tabloid weekly Apple Daily.

Prior to the negotiations, the US president stated that he would bring up Lai’s issue, but neither he nor the readouts from the opposing sides made reference to it.

When asked about Lai during the Trump-Xi meeting, the White House chose not to respond. It hasn’t verified that Trump brought up the subject.

Although he was not aware of specifics on Lai from the leaders’ meeting, Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, emphasized that Lai’s “crimes have gravely undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.”

“Any attempt to interfere with the judicial process or to undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong will not succeed,” Liu stated.

Lai was the “main planner and participant” in the “anti-China riots” in Hong Kong, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, who made this claim during a routine news briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

“The Chinese central government firmly supports the Hong Kong judiciary in performing its duties in accordance with the law,” Mao stated.

“Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs and brook no interference from external forces.”

Despite being a British national, Lai’s case has caused tension between Beijing and Washington; Trump stated during his presidential campaign last year that he would “100%” remove Lai from China.

Last week, in response to earlier unverified rumors that Trump had brought up his father’s issue with Xi, Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, hailed Trump and expressed his “unwavering gratitude.”

“Knowing President Trump’s reputation as the Liberator in Chief, I pray that his continued support and commitment will convince President Xi to free my father before it is too late,” Sebastien Lai said in a press release.

In addition to citing progress on rare earth shipments and pledges of “strong action” on the export of chemicals used to make the extremely addictive narcotic fentanyl, Trump praised the trade-dominated negotiations with Xi as a success. He said that during the 90-minute talks in South Korea, concerns over Taiwan were never discussed.

Lai’s family and rights organizations claim that he has been kept in solitary confinement for almost 1,700 days.

Officials from China and Hong Kong have previously stated that Lai has been given a fair hearing and that it is crucial that the local legal system can proceed.

Because Hong Kong, a former British colony, has a distinct legal system from the rest of China and is founded on Common Law traditions, Lai has more legal protections than people on the Chinese mainland.

According to two people familiar with Lai’s case, his trial concluded in late August, and he is currently being held in the Lai Chi Kok prison pending a verdict. He could get a maximum sentence of life in jail if found guilty.

His attorneys stated in court that he has been given medication and a cardiac monitor because he had heart palpitations.