(AFP) – A woman accused of spying for China on Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s son and his family in the United States was arrested Sunday, US and Taiwanese officials said. Wanying Zhang, 34, is accused of acting as an unregistered agent of China and spying on a “close relative of a Taiwanese government official” in the United States, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said Sunday in a post on X.
The woman allegedly surveilled Lai’s “son and his family — filming their home, vehicles, and reporting information back to (People’s Republic of China) handlers,” the FBI said on its rapid response account on X. Lai’s office confirmed Zhang’s actions had targeted the president’s family and said it was a case of “transnational repression.” China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex the island.
Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and, acting at the direction of Chinese officials, sent “photos, videos, and license plate information to those officials,” Essayli said. She was detained by the FBI at Los Angeles International Airport “attempting to depart for China” on Sunday, he said. FBI Director Kash Patel cheered the arrest in an X post, warning foreign adversaries that “America is no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations.”
“Allegedly surveil a foreign leader’s family on US soil for the PRC — and try to catch a flight back to Shanghai? Not happening,” Patel said. Lai, who was elected president in January 2024, has been an outspoken defender of Taiwan’s sovereignty and is detested by Chinese leaders. Lai’s office condemned the “barbaric acts,” confirming they had targeted the president’s family. “Such behavior should not be tolerated in the civilized world,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement, thanking US judicial authorities for “their assistance and protection of our citizens.”
– ‘Tradecraft’ –
Zhang, who resides in Irvine, California, “coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection,” Essayli said. She allegedly flew to Seattle on September 1, 2025, rented a black Nissan, and drove to Lai’s son’s home, according to a court document seen by AFP. Images from a neighbor’s security camera included in the complaint allegedly show Zhang and her associate “appearing to film” the family as they arrived home one evening, CBS News said.
Zhang is expected to make her initial appearance in federal court on Monday. Taiwan’s government has warned Taiwanese people of growing risks to their safety in China and elsewhere after Beijing’s ethnic unity law took effect in July. The Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress aims to forge a “shared” national identity among ethnic groups.
But overseas campaigners have argued it will further degrade the rights of ethnic minorities, like Uyghurs and Tibetans, that Beijing is accused of persecuting. They also point to a clause stating that people can be held liable for violating the law even when outside China, saying it gives the Chinese government more justification for targeting its opponents abroad.
Zhang’s arrest comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington, during which Xi told US President Donald Trump to show “prudence” over Taiwan and urged the US to oppose the island’s independence. The US paused a $14 billion weapons purchase by Taiwan in May, with Trump calling it a “very good negotiating chip” in dealings with China, which raised fears that Taiwan’s security could be traded away.
© 2024 AFP
