LOS ANGELES (Diya TV) — A Southern California mayor has admitted to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government in a federal case that has raised new concerns about foreign influence in local U.S. politics.
Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. Prosecutors said she worked with officials tied to the People’s Republic of China to spread propaganda through a fake news website aimed at Chinese Americans.
Federal prosecutors said Wang, 58, carried out orders from Chinese government officials between 2020 and 2022. Authorities said she used an online platform called “U.S. News Center” to publish pro-China content and track how readers responded to the material. The case marks another high-profile example of alleged Chinese influence operations inside the United States. Officials say the effort targeted public opinion and attempted to build political influence in California.
According to court documents, Wang worked alongside her former fiancé, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, to run the website. Prosecutors said the pair posted articles that supported the Chinese government’s positions on sensitive political issues.
Authorities said Wang and Sun received instructions directly from Chinese officials. Prosecutors alleged that the pair shared screenshots and audience numbers with their handlers after publishing the content. In one example included in the plea agreement, a Chinese official instructed Wang to post an article denying accusations of genocide and forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region.
“There is no genocide in Xinjiang,” the official allegedly wrote in messages cited by prosecutors.
After Wang published the material, the handler reportedly thanked her for acting quickly. Prosecutors also said Wang referred to one of the Chinese officials as “leader” in online exchanges. Wang admitted in court that she acted under the direction and control of Chinese government officials to promote propaganda in the United States. She now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Wang won election to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022. The city, located in Los Angeles County’s San Gabriel Valley, selects its mayor from council members on a rotating basis. Federal officials said Sun helped manage Wang’s campaign and worked to increase her political profile. Prosecutors alleged that Chinese officials viewed Wang as someone who could eventually gain a higher office and support Beijing’s interests in California politics.
Wang publicly distanced herself from Sun in 2025 after his legal troubles became public. She previously stated that she was “not responsible for the actions of others” and declined calls to resign from the City Council. Sun already faced federal charges filed in 2024. Prosecutors accused him of conspiracy and acting as an illegal foreign agent for China.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the case should alarm Americans because Wang rose to an influential local government position while allegedly working on behalf of a foreign power.
“Ms. Wang is just the latest to act as an agent for the PRC,” Essayli said in a statement released after the plea hearing.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg also accused Sun of spreading Chinese propaganda and monitoring groups in the United States that Beijing considered threats. Federal authorities have increasingly warned about China’s efforts to shape American politics, public opinion, and policymaking through covert and overt influence campaigns. Counterintelligence officials issued warnings in 2022 about China’s growing efforts to influence U.S. institutions at multiple levels of government.
The Wang case arrives amid continuing national debate over Chinese espionage and political influence in the United States. In recent years, federal investigators have examined allegations involving elected officials and suspected Chinese operatives. One widely publicized investigation involved former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell and an alleged Chinese spy named Christine Fang.
The House Ethics Committee later closed its investigation into Swalwell but warned lawmakers about possible attempts by foreign governments to gain improper influence. Wang told the Los Angeles Times in 2024 that she moved from China to Southern California about 30 years ago. She said her father worked at the University of Southern California after leaving Sichuan province, where both of her parents practiced medicine.
The federal case against Wang now adds to growing concerns about foreign propaganda operations targeting U.S. communities through local politics, online media, and grassroots campaigns.
