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As Washington and Beijing clash over tariffs and influence, advocates worry that political prisoners like the Catholic media mogul could become pawns — or be forgotten entirely.
As relations between China and the United States become increasingly strained amid a trade war triggered by the Trump administration’s new tariffs, the fate of political prisoners in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland may hang in the balance.
For Jimmy Lai, the Catholic human-rights activist on trial for violating Hong Kong’s new security law, a trade war “presents challenges and potential opportunities,” Benedict Rogers, founder and trustee of Hong Kong Watch, told the Register.
“As tensions rise, it may make it more difficult to negotiate Jimmy Lai’s release, but it may present an opportunity for leverage that could be used to secure his release,” said Rogers. The 77-year-old Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, has spent more than five years in prison in solitary confinement.
“The United States should think creatively and certainly make his freedom a priority concern,” Rogers added. “It is vital that his case, and human rights in Hong Kong and China in general, do not get forgotten among the tariff war and the focus on economic policy.”
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
As relations between China and the United States become increasingly strained amid a trade war triggered by the Trump administration’s new tariffs, the fate of political prisoners in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland may hang in the balance.
For Jimmy Lai, the Catholic human-rights activist on trial for violating Hong Kong’s new security law, a trade war “presents challenges and potential opportunities,” Benedict Rogers, founder and trustee of Hong Kong Watch, told the Register.
“As tensions rise, it may make it more difficult to negotiate Jimmy Lai’s release, but it may present an opportunity for leverage that could be used to secure his release,” said Rogers. The 77-year-old Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, has spent more than five years in prison in solitary confinement.
“The United States should think creatively and certainly make his freedom a priority concern,” Rogers added. “It is vital that his case, and human rights in Hong Kong and China in general, do not get forgotten among the tariff war and the focus on economic policy.”
Continued below.
What Does a Trade War With China Mean for Jimmy Lai?
As Washington and Beijing clash over tariffs and influence, advocates worry that political prisoners like the Catholic media mogul could become pawns — or be forgotten entirely.
