The son of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has implored Donald Trump to secure his father’s release from prison during a historic state visit to China next week . Mr Lai, the 78-year-old founder of Apple Daily , the city’s most vocal pro-democracy newspaper, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February on disputed collusion and sedition charges , as part of a mounting national security crackdown on the former British colony by Beijing. He has reportedly been kept in solitary confinement since his December 2020 arrest, despite mounting concerns for his deteriorating physical health. Sebastien Lai told The Independent that he “held hope” that Hong Kong would “act rationally and release my father” if the US president presses the issue during meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping which will take place this week. Mr Trump pledged during his 2024 campaign to secure his release and earlier this week vowed to bring up the case on his trip to Beijing. He arrived in the country on Wednesday.…