Washington D.C. – Washington Times, Sept. 21, 2026
Trump can deliver real results from his meeting with Xi this week
OPINION:
By Rep. Christopher H. Smith
President Trump and General Secretary Xi Jinping will meet in Washington this week with trade, technology, Taiwan and Iran on a crowded agenda.
These critical, wide-ranging disputes require intense focus and attention but are unlikely to be resolved in a single day. Yet, the summit can produce one immediate result: bringing home Americans unjustly detained in China and political prisoners such as Jimmy Lai, whose time behind bars must come to an end.
Mr. Xi should leave the U.S. knowing four names by heart: Nelson Wells Jr., Dawn Michelle Hunt, Youlin Chen and Min Zin.
Mr. Trump already understands why detention cases require leader-level diplomacy. In May, Mr. Trump personally raised the case of Mr. Lai, the 78-year-old Hong Kong publisher nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, who is serving a 20-year sentence for his peaceful advocacy. We hope the president will raise Mr. Lai again. Only Mr. Xi can approve a release of that political significance. Only Mr. Xi can do the same for Americans whose cases have already become U.S. priorities.
Mr. Wells and Ms. Hunt have spent more than 12 years behind bars. Mr. Wells is a Louisiana-born father of three. Ms. Hunt is a Chicago artist. They were prosecuted in a judicial system controlled by the Communist Party. Testimony at hearings I have chaired has documented failures of evidence, legal defense and due process in these cases.
