UK Prime Minister Urges Trump To Raise Jimmy Lai’s Case With Xi Jinping Ahead Of Summit

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged President Donald Trump to raise the case of jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai during Mr. Trump's Thursday summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

One source who spoke on condition of anonymity said Burnham made the request during a private Tuesday meeting with Trump. The source added that Trump agreed Lai should be released and that the British delegation suggested Lai could relocate to the United Kingdom if freed.

A Hong Kong court this year sentenced Lai, a former media magnate, to 20 years in prison on sedition charges. Trump reportedly raised Lai's case previously in May when he met Xi in Beijing, but the Chinese leader has not indicated whether he will free Lai.

The White House and Downing Street did not respond to requests for comment.

Lai, a Chinese-born British citizen, has drawn international attention since his detention. Human rights groups contend Beijing is punishing him for his prominent role in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and for resisting the Chinese government’s tightening control over the territory.

Trump: "He caused a lot of bedlam in Hong Kong," the president said when asked about why Xi might be reluctant to free Lai.

Mark Clifford, president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group, said: "It's incredibly significant that Burnham has taken up the case of this wrongfully imprisoned British citizen in his first meeting with President Trump."

The U.K. government declared Lai's release a priority for 2024, but Chinese authorities have not been swayed, even as concerns grow about Lai's deteriorating health in custody. Lai's family has described the combined length of his sentence and his six years in solitary confinement as a "death sentence."

Burnham's predecessor, Keir Starmer, also raised Lai's case during a visit to Beijing in January, pressing Xi for his release.

The case has attracted attention on Capitol Hill: Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) introduced a bill last week proposing sanctions and other consequences in response to the deaths of political prisoners in the territory, citing Jimmy Lai's case as an example.

Lai's treatment has long been a focus for UK parliamentarians. In 2024, Conservative MP Alicia Kearns coordinated a joint statement by 105 politicians from 24 countries condemning a trial they described as "tainted with unfairness."