On Thursday, January 16, 2025, Vice President Pence delivered remarks in Hong Kong at UBS Wealth Insights 2025 where he called for the release of newspaperman Jimmy Lai, who is currently on trial for national-security charges. Jimmy Lai met with Vice President Pence in July 2019 amidst the Hong Kong protests that began in June of 2019.
An excerpt of Vice President Pence’s remarks below:
“As I sit here in Hong Kong, I would tell you there is probably no more compelling gesture in the short term to send a message of good will to the people of the United States, or the free world, than if China were to take steps to free Jimmy Lai.”