“I did with President Xi. I did,” Trump told reporters when asked if ​he brought up the cases of political prisoners like Myanmar ​scholar and US citizen Min Zin, who was arrested in ⁠June, and Hong Kong’s most vocal China critic and media ​tycoon Jimmy Lai.

“We talked, and I think we had some very, very ​important discussions. Hopefully, fruitful discussions,” Trump added.

The White House had said ahead of Xi’s visit that Trump was expected to bring up cases of people wrongfully ​detained in China with the Chinese leader.

The White House did not ​say if Trump aimed to directly raise broader rights issues related to Tibet, the ‌Uyghur ⁠Muslim minority group, and China’s new “ethnic unity” law.

Trump has made winning freedom for Americans held overseas a priority, including in China, even as he has largely avoided talking about China’s treatment of Tibetans, Uyghurs ​and voices of ​dissent.

Lai’s case had sparked ⁠global concerns over the national security clampdown in Hong Kong, in part reflecting his prominence as founder ​of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper. He was ​sentenced to ⁠20 years in jail in February on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious materials.

Washington designated ⁠Myanmar ​scholar and US citizen Min Zin as wrongfully ​detained in August after his arrest by Chinese authorities in June.