FBI arrests ‘Chinese foreign agent’ for spying on Taiwan president’s son

A California pistillate allegedly sent photos and videos of President Lai’s lad and his household to Chinese officials.

The FBI has arrested a “Chinese overseas agent” astatine Los Angeles International Airport accused of spying connected the Taiwanese president’s son.

Wanying Zhang, besides known arsenic Heather, was arrested connected Sunday earlier her planned departure to China, the archetypal adjunct US lawyer for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, said successful a station connected X.

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Authorities charged Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, with acting arsenic an unregistered overseas agent.

Zhang surveilled Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te’s son, the FBI said. The bureau did not straight sanction Zhang’s alleged target, but aboriginal shared a quality nonfiction identifying him arsenic Lai Ting-yu.

The US Justice Department said Zhang travelled to Seattle successful 2025 astatine the behest of Chinese officials. She sent photos, video and licence sheet accusation of the Taiwanese leader’s lad and his household to China.

Essayli called Zhang a “Chinese overseas agent” and said she “used tradecraft to debar detection”.

“She ne'er notified the Attorney General she was acting for a overseas government, a national offense,” helium added.

Essayli said Zhang volition look successful a Los Angeles national tribunal connected Monday.

William Lai Ching-te and his Democratic Progressive Party accidental that Taiwan is already an autarkic state abstracted from China. Beijing views the land arsenic Chinese territory.

Washington does not person ⁠formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the US is bound by instrumentality to supply the land with the means to ‌defend itself.

Earlier this week, the US delivered 2 F-16V ⁠Block 70 combatant jets to Taiwan arsenic the land seeks to physique its defence capabilities to deter a feared onslaught by China.

In January, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to execute the “reunification” of China and Taiwan, calling Beijing’s long-held extremity “unstoppable”.