California woman arrested for spying on Taiwan leader's son for China

UPDATE - follow-up to U.S. accuses California woman of spying for China, surveilling Taiwan leader's son: U.S. authorities arrested 34-year-old Wanying Zhang at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, October 4, before her planned flight to China. Zhang, also known as Heather and living in Irvine, California, faces charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China.

Surveillance Details

The FBI stated that Zhang kept watch on a son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. Although the FBI did not name the target directly, a New York Post report identified him as U.S. resident Lai Ting-yu. The Justice Department reported that Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 following instructions from Chinese officials, and she sent them photos, videos, and car license plate details belonging to the Taiwanese leader's son and his family.

Court Appearance

Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, stated that Zhang used secret tradecraft to avoid being caught and failed to notify Washington about her work for a foreign government. Zhang was scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles federal court on Monday, October 5, and it was not immediately clear if she had a defense lawyer. The Chinese embassy in Washington and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office did not respond right away to requests for comment.

Context

Taiwan's political status remains a major point of tension between Washington and Beijing, since China claims the self-governing island as its territory. While the United States lacks formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it functions as the island's primary international supporter and major weapons supplier.