"The president previously committed to helping the 78-year-old Lai, a symbol of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement who has been imprisoned since 2020."
"Ahead of President Donald Trump’s trip to China next week, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers — including about two-thirds of the Senate — is urging him to seek the release of publisher Jimmy Lai, an ardent critic of the Chinese Communist Party who has been imprisoned in Hong Kong since 2020.
In a letter Thursday, more than 100 lawmakers asked Trump to raise Lai’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week and ask for his freedom. Trump pledged during his 2024 campaign to secure the release of Lai, a British citizen who has become a symbol of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, but has yet to do so.
“Your direct engagement is critical to securing Mr. Lai’s immediate release on humanitarian parole, so he can receive appropriate medical care and reunite with his family,” the lawmakers wrote in the Republican-led letter, according to a copy reviewed by The Washington Post.
The letter was signed by 68 senators, including more than 40 Republicans. It was also signed by more than 35 House members, including more than 25 Republicans. Among the signatories were Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), as well as Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California)."
Liam Scott, Cate Cadell, and Noah Robertson report for the Washington Post May 7, 2026.
