US charges Irvine woman Wanying Zhang as unregistered China agent over surveillance of Taiwan president’s son; not-guilty plea; trial Nov 30.
The US Justice Department said Wanying (Heather) Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, was arrested on 4 October at Los Angeles International Airport and charged with acting as an unregistered agent of the PRC. Prosecutors allege that from June to September 2025, at the direction of PRC officials, she surveilled relatives of Taiwan’s president in the Seattle area (FBI and court papers identify the residence of Lai Ching-te’s elder son Ting-Yu Lai), sending video and license-plate details to a contact; the charge carries up to 10 years if convicted. A federal grand jury indictment was filed on 9 October; on 23 October she pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles federal court, with trial set for 30 November. China’s Foreign Ministry said on 5 October it was “not aware of the situation” and opposed hyping so-called “Chinese spies.” Mainland Chinese wire coverage has not developed the case; this item relies on DOJ and US/overseas court reporting (AP, CBS and others).
Read full issue →