Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper owner Lai thanks Trump for calling him 'brave man'

 Hong Kong media executive Jimmy Lai – recently detained in connection with the territory and Beijing’s sweeping new national security law – thanked President Trump on Thursday for his support a day earlier. 

“Thank you Mr @realDonaldTrump.[Hong Kong] #HK can’t be successful without freedom and it can’t be the international financial center it once was. It is very sad,” Lai, founder of The Apple Daily newspaper, tweeted one day after Trump called him a “brave man.”

"I hear he is a wonderful gentleman, certainly a brave man," Trump said Wednesday at a White House press conference. "And I send him best wishes."

Trump's comment was prompted by a question from Just the News about China and Hong Kong’s joint, pro-democracy crackdown under which Lai was detained, a situation that the president has called a "terrible thing."

Hundreds of people have already been detained under the new law since it was enacted several weeks ago.

The law was enacted amid nearly a year of protests in Hong Kong – in response to a previously enacted law that would send some residents arrested in the territory to the mainland to face trial. 

Officials are attempting to crack down on the protests that at times have become violent and destructive. 

Lai was detained August 10 at his newspaper headquarters, which was searched by hundreds of officers. He was released about 48 hours later. Lai’s media company has long been critical of Beijing’s ruling communist party. 

The Trump administration has already taken economic measures toward Hong Kong to show its opposition to the new law.