En esta noticia
The latest case of tensions between the United States and China has unfolded at Los Angeles International Airport, where the FBI arrested a California woman on Sunday as she was preparing to board a flight to China.
The federal prosecutors have accused her of secretly working for Beijing to spy on relatives of Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te.
Wanying Zhang, a 34-year-old real estate agent from Irvine who also went by Heather, was charged with acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government, according to the announcement made by the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California Attorney Bill Essayli on X.
The allegations presented by the FBI against the California woman
Federal authorities allege that Zhang watched the home of the president’s son and sent photos, videos, and the license plate numbers of his vehicles to a Chinese government official.
Zhang appeared Monday in federal court in downtown Los Angeles for an initial hearing. She has not been formally indicted, and it was not immediately clear whether she had an attorney.
According to Essayli, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and, following instructions from Beijing, surveilled a “close relative” of a “high-ranking official” in the Taiwanese government and sent Chinese officials photographs, videos, and vehicle license plate information.
Zhang coordinated the trip with an associate and used “tradecraft” to avoid detection, the prosecutor said. He added that Zhang “never notified” the U.S. government that she was acting on behalf of a foreign government, which constitutes a federal offense.
“Foreign adversaries, take note: America is no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations.” FBI Director Kash Patel said on X. “This FBI is hunting threats to our national security wherever they hide and bringing them to justice.”
The official response of Taiwan’s government
Taiwan’s Presidential Office confirmed that relatives of President Lai were the targets, without specifying who, and called it “a classic case of transnational repression.”
“Taiwan condemns in the strongest terms such barbaric acts, which disregard human rights and national sovereignty and aim to suppress, threaten, or even harm individuals advocating for freedom and democracy or their families,” spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement.
The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The dispute over Taiwan
Taiwan and China split after a civil war in 1949. Lai Ching-te, elected in 2024, has said that the People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan, and Beijing considers him a separatist. Since taking office, he has pledged to raise defense spending from 3% to 5% of GDP.
From now, the charges are allegations, and Zhang is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.