No place better exemplifies China’s totalitarian turn than Hong Kong. Once a bustling bastion of democracy and economic opportunity, Hong Kong today shares little independence from its ultimate ruler, the People’s Republic of China.
And no person better represents this spiral toward authoritarianism than Jimmy Lai—the wealthy publisher of Hong Kong’s once-largest pro-democracy newspaper, who has spent the last five years in prison. In February, Lai, 78, was given a 20-year sentence after being convicted of sedition and colluding with foreign forces. His real crimes, say his children and those advocating for his freedom, were nothing more than the act of practicing journalism and standing up for democracy.
This week, as Donald Trump prepares to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing—the first trip of a U.S. president to China in nearly a decade—I spoke with Jimmy’s children, Sebastien, 31, and Claire, 29. They’ve dedicated their lives to trying to free their dad, and they believe Donald Trump may actually be able to do it. —Frannie Block
By the time Donald Trump lands in Beijing Wednesday for a historic summit with Xi Jinping, it will be five years and five months since our father, Jimmy Lai, was first imprisoned in Hong Kong.
He was sentenced to an additional 20 years in February for supposed crimes stemming from the Beijing-imposed national security law. Our father, a self-made man who founded the largest pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong, was convicted of sedition and colluding with foreign forces. These charges were levied against him because of his journalism and his peaceful campaigns for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.
That sentence is effectively a death sentence for our 78-year-old father. He has spent the majority of his prison time in solitary confinement and has developed heart conditions due to the harsh conditions. As family members, we are granted only 24 hours of visitation a year—which comes out to less than 30 minutes each week. He has diabetes, and has lost over 20 pounds in the last year alone. His skin is pale from going months without seeing the sun.
