Gingrich Urges Xi to Bring 78-Year-Old Jimmy Lai to Washington as Trump Seeks Release
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 19
Gingrich Urges Xi to Bring 78-Year-Old Jimmy Lai to Washington as Trump Seeks Release
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 19
Summary
Newt Gingrich called on Xi Jinping to bring jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai to Washington for next week’s meeting with Donald Trump, framing it as a goodwill gesture in strained U.S.-China ties.
Jimmy Lai, 78, was convicted in December 2025 on national security and sedition charges and sentenced on Feb. 9 to 20 years in prison — effectively a life term, Gingrich argued.
Trump has pressed for Lai’s release since the 2024 campaign and reportedly raised the case again in his May meeting with Xi, while Xi is expected to arrive with a large Chinese business delegation.
Lai has spent more than five years in prolonged solitary confinement, suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart issues, and has drawn release calls from the U.N., Britain, Canada, Australia and other G7 governments.
Gingrich argued that freeing Lai would not resolve disputes over tariffs, Taiwan, rare earths or technology, but would signal Beijing is serious about improving relations with Washington.