FBI arrests California woman Wanying Zhang for spying for China, surveilling Taiwan president’s son. (Photo Credit: X / @USAttyEssayli)
Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, 34, was arrested on Sunday and charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent, according to the FBI and US authorities. Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and subsequently sent them photographs, videos and licence plate information relating to the Taiwanese president’s son and his family, according to the Justice Department. Lai, who was elected president in 2024, has repeatedly rejected Beijing’s sovereignty claims over Taiwan.
Bill Essayli, first assistant US attorney for the Central District of California, announced the arrest and said Zhang had been working for China without registering as a foreign agent as required under US law.
China’s Foreign Ministry was closed for holidays, according to reports. He has said that Taiwan and China do not belong to each other and that the “People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan.” The FBI has arrested a California woman at Los Angeles International Airport as she was preparing to leave the United States for China, accusing her of acting as an unregistered agent for Beijing and surveilling the family of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. Investigators allege that Zhang gathered photographs, videos and vehicle licence plate information about Lai’s son and his family and passed the material to Chinese officials. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier reporting noted: US Woman Accused Of Spying For China, Surveilling Taiwan President’s Son US Woman Accused Of Spying For China, Surveilling Taiwan President’s Son US Woman Accused Of Spying For China, Surveilling Taiwan President’s Son Earlier reporting noted: The Justice Department said Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and subsequently sent them photos, video and licence plate information of the Taiwanese leader’s son and his family. The Justice Department said Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and subsequently sent them photos, video and licence plate information of the Taiwanese leader’s son and his family.
The FBI said Zhang used methods intended to avoid detection while carrying out the alleged surveillance and did not notify US authorities that she was acting on behalf of a foreign government. Earlier reporting noted: US authorities arrested a California woman on Sunday and accused her of spying on a son of Taiwan’s president at the behest of Chinese officials, the FBI said.