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US Arrests Woman Accused of Spying on Taiwan President's Son
Confirmed
In Short: A California woman was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport before she was set to depart for China, accused of spying on the son of Taiwan's president.
The FBI arrested Wanying Zhang, a 34-year-old California woman, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday before she was set to depart for China. Authorities accuse Zhang of spying on the son of Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, at the direction of Chinese officials.
According to Bill Essayli, First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and surveilled a close relative of a Taiwanese government official, sending photos, videos, and license plate information to Chinese officials.
Zhang, who was identified as a 'Chinese foreign agent' by the FBI, was arrested as she was preparing to board a flight to Shanghai. She is due to appear before a Los Angeles federal court on Monday.
The arrest comes amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan. In January, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to achieve the 'reunification' of China and Taiwan, calling Beijing's long-held goal 'unstoppable'.
The Taiwanese presidential office confirmed that President Lai Ching-te’s relatives were the targets of the surveillance, describing the case as a 'typical case of transnational repression'. The office thanked the US government for protecting Taiwanese citizens.
Zhang was accused of using tradecraft to avoid detection, coordinating her trip with an associate and traveling to Seattle to surveil the target. She never notified the Attorney General that she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense.
The US government's stance was clear: 'America is no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations,' said Essayli. The arrest highlights the ongoing efforts by the US to counter foreign intelligence operations.
Taiwan's presidential office condemned the alleged spying in the strongest terms, stating that such acts disregard human rights and national sovereignty and should not be tolerated in the civilized world.
Background
The FBI arrested Wanying Zhang, a 34-year-old California woman, at Los Angeles International Airport before she was set to depart for China.
The president of the Republic of China, also known as the president of Taiwan, is the head of state of the Republic of China (Taiwan), as well as the commander-in-chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces.
What's confirmed
- The FBI says authorities have arrested a California woman and accused her of spying on a son of Taiwan's president at the direction of Chinese officials.
- "Our country expresses the strongest condemnation of such barbaric conduct that disregards human rights and the sovereignty of nations," spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement.
- Taiwan's presidential office described Ms Zhang's actions as a "typical case of transnational repression" and thanked the US government for protecting Taiwanese citizens.
- “She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection,” he added.
What's still developing
- China’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
- Wanying Zhang, aka “Heather,” 34, of Irvine, was arrested today by @FBILosAngeles on a federal complaint charging her with acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.… pic.twitter.com/6YHoeErg5B Law enforcement sources identified the target as Lai Ting-yu (賴廷與), one of President Lai’s sons, CBS News reported.