Trump: Discussed Release of Political Prisoners with Xi

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he discussed the issue of releasing political prisoners with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the leaders' meeting last week.

When asked by reporters whether he raised the issue of political prisoners such as Myanmar researcher and US citizen Min Zin, detained in June, and Jimmy Lai, a prominent critic of China in Hong Kong and media tycoon there, Trump replied, "I discussed it with President Xi. Yes, I did."

Trump said: "We talked, and I think we had some very important discussions. I hope they were productive discussions."

For its part, the White House said before Xi's visit that Trump was expected to raise the issue of those wrongfully detained in China with the Chinese leader.

The White House did not mention whether Trump wanted to raise broader human rights issues related to Tibet, the Muslim Uyghur minority, and China's new "ethnic unity" law.

Trump made freeing Americans detained abroad, including those in China, one of his priorities, but largely avoided speaking about China's treatment of Tibet, the Uyghurs, and opposition voices.

The case of Lai sparked global concerns over strict measures taken in the name of national security in Hong Kong, reflecting partly his prominent status as founder of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper. He was sentenced in February to 20 years in prison.

Washington said that Myanmar researcher and US citizen Min Zin is being illegally held in August after being arrested by Chinese authorities in June.