🥹If Hong Kong seeks preferential treatment from the Trump administration on tariffs and other issues, the most direct approach would be to release Jimmy Lai of Apple Daily. He is over seventy years old and in frail health. Trump has a strong personal rapport with him and has previously linked trade policies to concerns over individual rights, particularly in cases like Lai’s. Releasing him early and then requesting favorable tariff considerations from Trump would produce a markedly different outcome—you must take the initiative.
As a financial columnist for Apple Daily, I know firsthand that the newspaper’s editorial stance leans left, aligning with the Democratic Party and Western liberal ideologies. However, Jimmy Lai is an ardent Trump supporter—a steadfast and loyal backer of President Trump. In this context, if Hong Kong acts proactively, there remains a glimmer of hope for its economic and social well-being. If you fail to recognize this opportunity and wait until Trump loses his temper and demands Lai’s release, it will be too late—Hong Kong may fail to secure any preferential treatment.