U.S. President Donald Trump directly appealed to Chinese President Xi Jinping to release imprisoned Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai during their bilateral talks in South Korea last week, according to multiple sources familiar with the meeting.

Three individuals briefed on the exchange confirmed that Trump raised Lai’s case, focusing on concerns about the 77-year-old democracy advocate’s health and prolonged detention. Lai, the founder of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, is currently awaiting a verdict after being charged under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law.

“President Trump brought up Jimmy Lai’s case, just as he said he would,” a senior U.S. administration official said. “It was raised by Trump and noted by Xi.”

Although no formal deal was proposed, Trump reportedly suggested that releasing Lai would reflect positively on China and help improve U.S.-China relations. Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, thanked Trump for the effort, praising the U.S. president’s commitment to human rights.

Lai’s case has been a major point of tension between Washington and Beijing. A British citizen, Lai has spent over 1,700 days in solitary confinement. His charges, under China’s controversial national security law imposed after 2019 protests, include conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious material. He faces a potential life sentence if convicted.

Chinese officials continue to defend Lai’s prosecution, calling him a key instigator of unrest in Hong Kong and dismissing foreign intervention.

The Trump-Xi meeting, held on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Busan, was dominated by discussions on trade, rare earth exports, and fentanyl production, with no mention of Taiwan tensions. However, the quiet diplomacy over Lai’s fate marks a rare personal intervention by a U.S. president into a sensitive legal case in China.

Lai’s trial concluded in August, and he remains held at Lai Chi Kok prison as he awaits a verdict. His lawyers report ongoing health concerns, including heart issues requiring medical equipment.