United States President Donald Trump has renewed his promise to “save” jailed Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai, who is on trial for alleged national security crimes over his pro-democracy activism and antipathy towards China’s Communist Party. “I’m going to do everything I can to save him. I’m going to do everything … His name has already entered the circle of things that we’re talking about, and we’ll see what we can do,” Trump told Fox News Radio in the US.
Lai, 77, is a longtime opponent of China’s Communist Party thanks to his ownership of Apple Daily, a now-shuttered pro-democracy tabloid newspaper. He is facing two counts of “colluding with foreign forces” and a separate charge of sedition in the long-running national security trial that began in December 2023. If found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. He has always protested his innocence.
The trial has been marked by controversy, with Lai’s lawyer experiencing heart palpitations, leading to a delay in the closing arguments. Closing arguments have been pushed from Friday to Monday. The delay marks the second in as many days, after Hong Kong courts were closed due to bad weather. Trump previously pledged to rescue Lai during an interview last October, just weeks before his election as president, and had said he would “100 percent get him out”.
Lai was first arrested in 2020, just months after Beijing imposed the new national security law on Hong Kong, which criminalised the city’s pro-democracy movement and categorised public protests as acts of secession, subversion, and terrorism. The law was later expanded in 2024 to include further crimes such as espionage and sabotage. Lai has been in detention continuously since December 2020 and is serving separate prison sentences for participating in a banned candlelight vigil and committing “fraud” on an office lease agreement.
Lai’s case has drawn international attention, with concerns raised about his treatment and the implications for Hong Kong’s autonomy and human rights. According to the United Kingdom-based Hong Kong Watch, Lai has spent more than 1,600 days in solitary confinement, despite his age and health complications. He was also denied the lawyer of his choice during the trial and access to independent medical care. A verdict in his trial is expected within days.
The international community will be watching closely to see how the trial unfolds and what actions the US government will take to support Lai. Trump’s promise to “save” Lai highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and China, particularly with regards to human rights and democracy in Hong Kong.