U.S. authorities arrested a California woman on Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport, charging her with spying on the son of Taiwan’s president on behalf of the Chinese government. The FBI identified the suspect as Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather Zhang, a 34-year-old real estate agent based in Irvine, California. She was detained as she prepared to board a flight to China and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday.
Federal prosecutors allege Zhang acted as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China, violating U.S. laws that require individuals working on behalf of foreign governments to register. According to Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials to conduct surveillance on a close relative of Taiwan’s president, specifically Lai Ting-yu, an engineer residing in the Seattle area and son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. Zhang reportedly gathered photographs, videos, and license plate information of Lai Ting-yu and his family and transmitted these materials to contacts in Beijing. Authorities say Zhang used covert methods to avoid detection and failed to notify the U.S. government of her ties to China.
Taiwan’s presidential office confirmed that members of President Lai’s family were targeted and characterized the case as an example of "transnational repression." Spokesperson Karen Kuo condemned what she called "barbaric acts" that disregard human rights and national sovereignty, asserting that such behavior aims to intimidate or harm individuals advocating for freedom and democracy. Taiwan’s government thanked U.S. authorities for their role in protecting its citizens.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China, which split following a civil war in 1949. China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, while Taiwan operates as a self-governing entity. Since his election in 2024, President Lai has adopted a firm stance against Beijing’s claims, asserting that Taiwan and China are separate and rejecting any Chinese government representation over Taiwan. He has also increased Taiwan’s defense budget, including funding for enhanced air defense systems.
China has not commented on the arrest. The Chinese Embassy in the United States did not respond to requests for comment, and Beijing’s foreign ministry was closed for holidays.
This incident follows previous cases of alleged Chinese surveillance targeting Taiwanese officials overseas. In 2023, a California man was sentenced to prison for monitoring a Taiwanese presidential visit, and in 2024, Czech military intelligence reported Chinese efforts to surveil Taiwan’s vice president during her trip to Prague.
The arrest of Wanying Zhang underscores continuing concerns about covert operations aimed at Taiwanese political figures and their families, reflecting broader geopolitical frictions in the region.