US-China Relations

Cases of Hong Kong Political Prisoners Raised Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

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By Justin Wu/Amelia Loi

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Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit the United States, concerns are being raised in Washington and London are over political prisoners in Hong Kong. Sebastien Lai, son of the imprisoned former media mogul Jimmy Lai, appeared before a US congressional hearing to call for pressure on Beijing son to release his 78-year-old father, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence under Hong Kong's national security law. Meanwhile, democracy activist Joshua Wong faces a possible life sentence after pleading guilty to colluding with foreign entities. American and British lawmakers are pressing their governments to take action, arguing that the cases highlight broader concerns about human rights, broken promises over Hong Kong's autonomy, and the "one country, two systems" model that Beijing seeks to extend to Taiwan.