Trump to raise Hong Kong Jimmy Lai case in China trade talks

HONG KONG - U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would raise the case of jailed Hong Kong activist and former media tycoon Jimmy Lai as part of the negotiation with China over trade and tariffs, a move that could further stoke tensions with Beijing.

I think talking about Jimmy Lai is a very good idea, Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday. Well put it down, and well put it down as part of the negotiation.

Top senior U.S. officials are due to meet with Chinas top economic official on Saturday in Switzerland, a fledgling step amid a trade war stemming from Trumps often chaotic tariff policies that have hurt the global economy and roiled markets.

Trump, however, said he wasnt willing to cut Chinese tariffs to get Beijing to the negotiating table. Adding Jimmy Lais case into the mix -- long a diplomatic friction point between the two sides -- could bring further complications.

Look, they (China) want to make a deal so badly. That, I can tell you. But weve been talking, Trump said during the radio interview.

The trial of Lai -- a longstanding critic of the Chinese Communist Party -- has shone a spotlight on a sweeping crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong following Chinas imposition of a national security law (NSL) in 2020.

Countries such as the U.S. and Britain have called for Lais release and say his trial amounts to political persecution.

Beijing rejects these claims and says Lai is getting a fair trial under the NSL, which it says has brought stability to Hong Kong after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Lai, 77, the most high-profile China critic to face prosecution under the NSL, has pleaded not guilty to his charges including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.

Lai, who is