Paul Wolfowitz Urges China to Release Jimmy Lai

Former U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz called on the government of China to release imprisoned publisher Jimmy Lai as a humanitarian gesture to rebuild trust between Washington and Beijing. Writing ahead of Xi Jinping's visit to Washington, Wolfowitz argued that releasing the 78-year-old publisher would demonstrate confidence and compassion without requiring China to admit any legal error.

Wolfowitz framed the request within the context of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, noting that the agreement to maintain Hong Kong's freedoms for 50 years after the 1997 handover has been undermined. He suggested that a modest act of humanity could facilitate more difficult diplomacy between the two global powers.

To support his argument, Wolfowitz drew a historical parallel to the 1990 release of physicist Fang Lizhi, suggesting that such a move could serve as a diplomatic bridge during a period of high tension.