{"id":7015,"date":"2026-10-05T05:00:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T05:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=7015"},"modified":"2026-10-05T05:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T05:00:17","slug":"fbi-arrests-chinese-foreign-agent-for-spying-on-taiwan-presidents-son-espionage-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=7015","title":{"rendered":"FBI arrests \u2018Chinese foreign agent\u2019 for spying on Taiwan president\u2019s son | Espionage News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A California woman allegedly sent photos and videos of President Lai\u2019s son and his family to Chinese officials.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Published On 5 Oct 2026<\/span>5 Oct 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The FBI has arrested a \u201cChinese foreign agent\u201d at Los Angeles International Airport accused of spying on the Taiwanese president\u2019s son.<\/p>\n

Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, was arrested on Sunday before her planned departure to China, the first assistant US attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, said in a post on X.<\/p>\n

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Authorities charged Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, with acting as an unregistered foreign agent.<\/p>\n

Zhang surveilled Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te\u2019s son, the FBI said. The agency did not directly name Zhang\u2019s alleged target, but later shared a news article identifying him as Lai Ting-yu.<\/p>\n

The US Justice Department said Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the behest of Chinese officials. She sent photos, video and license plate information of the Taiwanese leader\u2019s son and his family to China.<\/p>\n

Essayli called Zhang a \u201cChinese foreign agent\u201d and said she \u201cused tradecraft to avoid detection\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe never notified the Attorney General she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Essayli said Zhang will appear in a Los Angeles federal court on Monday.<\/p>\n

William Lai Ching-te and his Democratic Progressive Party say that Taiwan<\/a> is already an independent country separate from China. Beijing views the island as Chinese territory.<\/p>\n

Washington does not have \u2060formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the US is bound by law to provide the island with the means to \u200cdefend itself.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, the US\u00a0delivered<\/a> two F-16V \u2060Block 70 fighter jets to Taiwan as the island seeks to build its defence capabilities to deter a feared attack by China<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In January, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged<\/a> to achieve the \u201creunification\u201d of China and Taiwan, calling Beijing\u2019s long-held goal \u201cunstoppable\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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A California woman allegedly sent photos and videos of President Lai\u2019s son and his family to Chinese officials. Published On 5 Oct 20265 Oct 2026 The FBI has arrested a \u201cChinese foreign agent\u201d at Los Angeles International Airport accused of spying on the Taiwanese president\u2019s son. Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, was arrested on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t