India, Nov. 13 -- US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that securing the release of British businessman and pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai from a Chinese prison could prove difficult, admitting that Beijing has considerable hostility towards the former Hong Kong media proprietor.

Speaking ahead of his planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen next week, Trump suggested that Lai's involvement in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement remained a major obstacle to his release.

The US President said Xi had previously explained Beijing's position on the unrest in Hong Kong, portraying Lai as a central figure in the protests that challenged Chinese authority in t...