Trump asked Xi to free 'old and not well' Jimmy Lai after conviction

• Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to consider releasing Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, citing his age and health.
• Jimmy Lai, 78, was convicted in a landmark national security case in Hong Kong for conspiring with foreign forces and publishing seditious material.
• Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, has been detained since 2020 and faces potential life imprisonment under Hong Kong's national security law.
• The conviction is viewed by critics as a sign of shrinking political freedoms in Hong Kong following Beijing's imposition of the national security law.
• International diplomatic representatives from the US, EU, and France observed Lai's trial, signaling close interest in the case.

Why It Matters: It reveals global concern for human rights and freedom in Hong Kong.