Trump Should Demand Release of Prisoners Before Xi US Visit
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is slated to come to the United States in September to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House. Trump extended the invitation after meeting with Xi in Beijing: apparently, both leaders believe the previous meeting was successful enough to merit continued discussion. While media attention is often high during the actual summit, the most consequential work of diplomacy is happening right now and in the months leading up to September.
TL;DR
- President Trump is scheduled to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House in September.
- The time leading up to the summit is considered critical for diplomatic work, especially regarding political prisoners in China.
- Trump has raised the cases of specific political prisoners, such as Jimmy Lai and Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, and expressed commitment to their release.
- Both the U.S. House and Senate have passed resolutions calling for the release of political prisoners, including Jimmy Lai, Pastor Jin, Gulshan Abbas, Pastor Gao Quanfu and his wife Pang Yu, and Ekpar Asat.
- The unanimous congressional support for securing the release of political prisoners gives President Trump a mandate to potentially make this a precondition for meeting Xi Jinping in September.