Federal authorities arrested Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday before she could depart to China. The first assistant US attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, announced the arrest and characterized Zhang as a “Chinese foreign agent” who engaged in sophisticated surveillance techniques to avoid detection.
According to the US Justice Department, Zhang was tasked by Chinese officials to conduct surveillance on Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te’s son, identified as Lai Ting-yu. The investigation revealed that Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese authorities and subsequently transmitted photographs, video footage, and license plate information of the Taiwanese president’s son and his family to China. Essayli stated that Zhang failed to notify the Attorney General of her work on behalf of a foreign government, which constitutes a federal crime.
Zhang faces charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and was scheduled to appear in Los Angeles federal court on Monday. The arrest reflects ongoing tensions between Beijing and Washington regarding Taiwan’s status. President William Lai Ching-te and his Democratic Progressive Party maintain that Taiwan functions as an independent country distinct from China, while Beijing continues to regard the island as Chinese territory. The United States, while lacking formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, is legally obligated to supply the island with defense capabilities. Earlier in the week, the US delivered two F-16V Block 70 fighter jets to Taiwan to strengthen its defensive posture against potential military threats from China.
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