California mayor accused of acting as an illegal agent for China, spreading propaganda
(KTLA) – Eileen Wang, mayor of Arcadia, California, resigned abruptly Monday after federal prosecutors announced she was charged with acting as a covert foreign agent for China.
Wang agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count, which carries a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. US Department of Justice announced.
According to the plea agreement, Wang, 58, and Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, worked on behalf of the People’s Republic of China to promote government interests through propaganda efforts. Its platforms included U.S. News Center, which purported to be a news source for Chinese Americans in Southern California, according to the Justice Department.
In one example from June 2021, prosecutors said Chinese officials contacted Wang via encrypted WeChat messages to deliver pre-written news articles.
A draft article published in the journal Los Angeles Times “There is no genocide in Xinjiang, there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such rumors to denigrate China, destroy the security and stability of Xinjiang, weaken the local economy, hinder China’s development.”
Wang posted the article on his own website moments later and responded to the Chinese official with a link, as did others in the group chat, according to the Justice Department. Shortly after, the Chinese official replied, “Very quickly, thank you everyone.”
The Chinese government became accused of genocide and the imposition of forced labor on ethnic minorities, especially Muslims, in the Xinjiang region.
In August 2021, federal prosecutors said Wang and three other members of the WeChat group shared links to the same article on their own websites and received another thank you from the Chinese official.
According to court documents, in November 2021, prosecutors said Wang coordinated the propaganda articles with a senior member of the country’s intelligence who had direct ties to Chinese President Xi Jinping. That official, John Chen of Chino, California, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for acting as an unlawful agent of the government and conspiracy to bribe a public official.
Sun, meanwhile, was sentenced to four years in federal prison in October 2025 after pleading guilty to acting as an unlawful agent of a foreign government. Wang was expected to make his first court appearance on Monday.
“Individuals elected to public office in the United States must act only on behalf of the American people they represent,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg. “It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and implemented directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust, especially since his relationship with this foreign government has never been disclosed.”
Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022. Mayors of the city are elected on a rotating basis.
HE official biography page She continued online Monday afternoon, describing her as “the daughter of proud immigrants who came to California in search of the American Dream.”
Before his election, Wang served on the Camino Grove Elementary School Parent Teacher Association and was president of the American Southwest Chamber of Commerce (USA).
“The allegations at the center of this case that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a locally elected official are deeply troubling. We take them seriously,” the city said in a statement Monday. “Following an internal review, we can confirm that no city finances, personnel or decision-making were involved.”
Arcadia officials said the City Council will soon discuss replacing Wang, who represents the city’s 3rd District until the November 2026 election.
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