Free speech" When "Les Misérables" played in front of Xi Jinping

◎ Xiao Xihui

On September 24, 2026, U.S. President Trump held a state banquet for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. That night, the US military music unit performed a suite from the musical "Les Misérables", and Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan were present.

At the dinner of the second meeting between Trump and Xi, the United States arranged for a military band to perform the musical "Les Misérables" and sang the famous saying symbolizing anti-totalitarian rule, "Have you heard the people singing?" The picture shows Xi Jinping and Trump. (AP file photo)

In the public video, you can hear passages such as "One Day More" and "Do you hear the people sing?"

Please read on...

"Do You Hear the People Sing?" is one of the most famous songs from Les Misérables. The background of the story involves the Paris uprising in 1832. In the play, students and republicans built barricades in preparation for participating in the uprising. The lyrics involve people's assembly, resistance and freedom.

A few key facts are worth looking at together:

Xi Jinping was present. The melody of "Les Misérables" sounded at the White House state dinner he attended.

Performers are U.S. military music units.

This song was sung during the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement. He appeared in Hong Kong protests during the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019 anti-extradition movement.

This song was once unavailable on some streaming music platforms in China. The Guardian reported on the relevant situation in 2020.

Jimmy Lai is still serving his sentence in Hong Kong. Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily, was convicted of national security and incitement-related charges in 2025. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February 2026. He was still in prison when the Sichuan-Xi meeting was held.

The song "One Day More" appeared during the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019 anti-extradition movement. The picture shows the "anti-extradition law" movement in Hong Kong. (European News Agency file photo)

As for why the White House arranged "Les Misérables" and whether the song selection has political connotations targeting Xi Jinping or China's political system, there is currently no public evidence to confirm. Therefore, "deliberately satirizing Xi Jinping" cannot be written as fact.

However, not speculating on motives does not mean that the historical background does not exist.

〈Do You Hear the People Sing? 〉 once sounded in the streets of Hong Kong; many years later, the melody of "Les Misérables" reappeared at the White House state banquet attended by Xi Jinping, while Jimmy Lai was still serving his sentence in a Hong Kong prison.

We can wait for the answer as to why the White House chose this song; but people will never forget the history a song has gone through.

The intriguing thing about history is sometimes not who said what, but which facts happened to stand together at the same moment.

(The author is a freelance writer)