Jimmy Lai’s son urges Trump to seek father’s release before Xi visit

Sebastien Lai told a Sept. 16, 2026 Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing that his father Jimmy Lai, 78, is Hong Kong’s oldest political prisoner and will most likely die in prison on a 20-year sentence if not freed soon. Jimmy Lai, founder of the defunct Apple Daily, has been imprisoned since December 2020 after a Feb. 9, 2026 national-security-law conviction. Xi Jinping visits the White House Sept. 24. Sebastien said he sat with sister Claire, 30, as she began cancer chemotherapy in London and that their father learned of her diagnosis from maximum-security prison. “He cannot hold her hand,” he said, urging compassionate release so Jimmy can sit beside her. Rep. Chris Smith advised Trump to be “absolutely unmovable,” saying of Xi, “One quick phone call, and it’s done.” Nancy Pelosi earlier in September told the House not to forget Jimmy Lai. Trump had also sought Ezra Jin Mingri’s release at a May 2026 China summit; Jin was freed before Independence Day 2026. What is contested: Trump told reporters flying home from that summit that Xi indicated Lai’s case “would be a tough one.” Whether a release follows the September visit remains open.