Ex-Mayor Admits to being Chinese Spy

Arcadia’s former mayor is headed for federal sentencing after admitting she secretly worked on behalf of Communist China while helping run what prosecutors describe as a propaganda operation disguised as a local news outlet.

Eileen Wang, 58, resigned from office after striking a stunning plea deal with federal prosecutors, admitting she acted as an unregistered agent for the People’s Republic of China while living and operating in Southern California.

According to court documents unsealed Monday, Wang worked alongside her former fiancé, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, to push pro-Beijing messaging through a website called “U.S. News Center,” which claimed to serve Chinese Americans with community-focused reporting. Prosecutors say the site was actually part of a coordinated influence campaign directed by Chinese government officials.

The operation allegedly ran between 2020 and 2022 — just before Wang won a seat on the Arcadia City Council in Los Angeles County.

Federal prosecutors say Wang and Sun weren’t just publishing opinion pieces. They were allegedly taking direct orders from Chinese handlers, posting propaganda aimed at defending the Chinese Communist Party and then sending screenshots and traffic data back to their contacts in Beijing to prove the content was spreading online.

One message included in the plea agreement allegedly came directly from Wang’s Chinese handler, who ordered her to publish a pre-written article denying allegations of genocide and forced labor in Xinjiang.

“There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production,” the handler allegedly wrote before directing Wang to spread the content online.

Prosecutors say Wang quickly complied. Her handler reportedly responded moments later: “So fast, thank you everyone.”

In another exchange, Wang allegedly thanked one of her Chinese contacts after being praised for the number of views a propaganda article received, replying: “Thank you leader.”

The explosive case has sparked major concerns about Chinese influence operations inside the United States — especially because Wang was able to climb into public office while allegedly working under the direction of a foreign government.

Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said Americans should be deeply alarmed by the case.

“Ms. Wang is just the latest to act as an agent for the PRC and it should terrify Americans that she was able to rise to the highest levels of local office in her city,” Essayli said after the plea deal became public.

Wang pleaded guilty during a hearing Monday in downtown Los Angeles. She now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Her former fiancé, Sun, has already been sentenced to four years behind bars after prosecutors accused him of operating as a covert Chinese agent for years.

According to the Justice Department, Sun carried out assignments from Chinese officials that included spreading propaganda and monitoring groups inside the United States that Beijing viewed as threats.

“For years, Sun received and executed taskings from Chinese government officials, distorted our public discourse by disseminating Chinese propaganda, and surveilled groups in the United States that China viewed as threatening,” Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg said earlier this year.

Prosecutors believe Chinese officials viewed Wang as a rising political figure who could eventually help advance Beijing’s interests in California politics.

Sun even worked as Wang’s campaign manager during her City Council race, according to investigators.

After Sun was charged in 2024, Wang publicly tried to separate herself from him and insisted she would not resign from office, saying she was “not responsible for the action of others.”

That position collapsed Monday when she formally admitted in federal court that she knowingly operated under the direction of Chinese officials.

The case is now adding fuel to broader national concerns over Chinese espionage and political influence campaigns inside the United States.

Federal authorities have repeatedly warned in recent years that China has aggressively expanded covert operations targeting American politics, universities, media outlets and business sectors.

The scandal also revives memories of past controversies involving alleged Chinese operatives attempting to build relationships with U.S. politicians, including the widely publicized investigation involving former Congressman Eric Swalwell and alleged Chinese spy Christine Fang.

Meanwhile, investigators are reportedly still examining possible Chinese-linked influence efforts elsewhere in California. Federal agents recently raided Lancaster City Hall and homes connected to officials involved in a controversial electric bus partnership with Chinese automaker BYD.

According to a source familiar with that probe, investigators feared the buses themselves could potentially be used for surveillance purposes.