Spies among us? Perhaps it is not as uncommon as you think
By Easton Martin | May 12, 2026
Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, has resigned and is expected to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China. The Department of Justice announced on Monday that Wang, 58, reached a plea agreement after admitting she worked on U.S. soil to advance the interests of the Chinese government without notifying federal authorities. She faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Wang, who was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022, operated a website called “U.S. News Center” alongside Yaoning “Mike” Sun of Chino Hills. Between late 2020 and 2022, the site presented itself as a news source for the local Chinese American community. However, federal authorities state that Wang and Sun used the platform to spread propaganda and post favorable content under the direct instruction of Chinese officials.
According to the Department of Justice, the pair received directives from officials, including the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In June 2021, a Chinese official sent them an essay draft via the encrypted messaging app WeChat, directing them to counter a Los Angeles Times article regarding Xinjiang. Within minutes, Wang and Sun published the piece, which claimed there was no forced labor in Xinjiang cotton production. The official responded to the quick publication by saying, “So fast, thank you everyone.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg expressed concern that someone who executed directives from foreign government officials was in a position of public trust without ever disclosing the relationship. Chinese residents make up a large portion of Arcadia, where up to 60 percent of the population is Asian.
