Key facts
- President Trump said he discussed political prisoners with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- Trump described the discussions as important and hopefully fruitful.
- US citizen Min Zin, a Myanmar scholar, and media tycoon Jimmy Lai were cited as examples of political prisoners.
- Lai was sentenced to 20 years in jail in February.
- Min Zin was designated as wrongfully detained by Washington in August.
US President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he discussed the release of political prisoners with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting last week. Trump told reporters that the discussions were "very, very important" and "hopefully, fruitful."
Ahead of Xi's visit, the White House had indicated that Trump was expected to raise cases of individuals wrongfully detained in China with the Chinese leader. The White House did not specify whether broader human rights issues concerning Tibet, the Uyghur Muslim minority group, or China's new "ethnic unity" law were part of the agenda.