One of the most well-known opponents of the Chinese Communist Party, Mr. Lai, is a British national who has been incarcerated since December 2020.
During his first trip to China since assuming office, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Beijing on Friday and held discussions over Mr. Lai’s detention.
The meeting between Mr. Lammy and his Chinese colleague Wang Yi was deemed “constructive” by the Foreign Office, which also characterized the interaction as “pragmatic and necessary.”
Human rights issues, including as Mr. Lai and the purported abuse of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, were on the agenda.
“It is impossible to normalize the relationship if they still have a British national that is imprisoned for standing up for freedoms that underpin our democracy,” Sebastien, the son of Mr. Lai, told News.
He went on to say that we cannot engage in equal trade with a partner who does not respect our freedom, right to exist, and right to speak up.
