WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has drawn attention for his relatively restrained approach to raising human rights concerns during his recent engagement with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to a report by The Guardian. Before departing for Beijing, Trump was asked whether he would bring up the case of jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai. Trump replied, “I’ll bring him up,” but compared the issue to a hypothetical situation involving former FBI Director James B Comey, suggesting it would be difficult for him to demand Lai’s release outright.
The report said this limited emphasis on human rights reflects wider political changes in both Washington and Beijing. Previous US presidents had publicly addressed sensitive issues such as religious freedom, Tibet, and political prisoners during meetings with Chinese leaders. Former President George W Bush attended a church service in Beijing in 2008 to advocate religious freedom, while Barack Obama urged then Chinese President Hu Jintao to resume talks with the Dalai Lama during a 2009 state visit.
The article also highlighted past US intervention in Chinese human rights cases, including the Obama administration’s assistance in helping blind activist lawyer Chen Guangcheng escape house arrest in 2012. Activists now fear that civil liberties in China have sharply deteriorated under Xi Jinping’s leadership since 2012, with increased crackdowns on dissent, religious minorities, lawyers, and civil society groups.
Despite criticism over his softer tone, Trump later told Fox News that he had discussed both Jimmy Lai’s detention and the imprisonment of several Christian pastors with Xi. Trump claimed Xi was “seriously considering” releasing some detained religious leaders, comments welcomed by families of detainees. However, Trump still described Lai’s possible release as a “tough one,” despite strong bipartisan support in the United States for the 78-year-old media mogul. (IANS)
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