Donald Trump raised the case of jailed Hong Kong democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai in talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping but was told it “is a tough one”.
Family and supporters of the 78-year-old British citizen had hoped the US president could help secure his release.
Mr Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year under a security law imposed by Beijing.
The media tycoon, who was an influential figure in the former British territory’s pro-democracy movement, was arrested in 2020 in a crackdown following massive anti-government protests.
Mr Lai’s legal team says he has health problems, fuelling fears he may die behind bars.
Speaking on board Air Force One as he returned from his two-day visit to China, Mr Trump said he believes Mr Xi is seriously considering freeing a church pastor detained in China, but is less hopeful over the plight of Mr Lai.
The US leader said: “I did bring it up, but it’s a tougher one for him.”
Mr Trump added: “He said Jimmy Lai is a tough one for him.”
In an interview with Fox News broadcast later, Mr Trump said: “I bought up Jimmy Lai. I would say the response to that was not positive.”
He added: “I did not feel optimistic.”
Mr Lai’s daughter Claire said she was grateful to Mr Trump for his commitment to her father’s release.
She said: “He has earned his reputation as liberating the unjustly detained and I am confident he and his administration will be the ones to free my father.”
She also added it is an opportunity for Mr Xi to do “the only just and honourable thing”.
Mr Lai’s case has sparked international concern, particularly in the UK, where he is seen as being punished for defending democratic undertakings given in 1997 with the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule.
Controversy was further stoked after the Government gave the go-ahead to China’s new mega-embassy in London, despite ongoing security concerns and warnings by MI5 of the threat posed by Beijing to UK national security.
