Trump says he discussed release of political prisoners with Xi

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said on Sept 30 he discussed the release of political prisoners with Chinese President Xi Jinping when the two leaders met last week.

“I did with President Xi. I did,” Trump told reporters when asked if he brought up the cases of political prisoners like Myanmar scholar and US citizen Min Zin, who was arrested in June, and Hong Kong’s most vocal China critic and media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

“We talked, and I think we had some very, very important discussions. Hopefully, fruitful discussions,” Trump added.

The White House had said ahead of Xi’s visit that Trump was expected to bring up cases of people wrongfully detained in China with the Chinese leader.

The White House did not say if Trump aimed to directly raise broader rights issues related to Tibet, the Uyghur Muslim minority group, and China’s new “ethnic unity” law.

Trump has made winning freedom for Americans held overseas a priority, including in China, even as he has largely avoided talking about China’s treatment of Tibetans, Uyghurs and voices of dissent.

Lai’s case had sparked global concerns over the national security clampdown in Hong Kong, in part reflecting his prominence as founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail in February on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious materials.

Washington designated Myanmar scholar and US citizen Min Zin as wrongfully detained in August after his arrest by Chinese authorities in June. REUTERS