FBI arrests woman accused of spying on Taiwanese president's family for China
The FBI detained a woman at Los Angeles airport as she tried to fly to China, accusing her of acting as an unregistered Chinese agent who surveilled relatives of Taiwan's president. Taiwan called it a classic case of transnational repression.
US federal agents arrested a woman at Los Angeles International Airport just as she was about to board a flight to China, accusing her of spying on relatives of Taiwan's president on behalf of Beijing. The suspect, 34-year-old Wanying Zhang, who also goes by Heather, faces charges of acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government while inside the United States.
Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrest on social media, saying Zhang had been tracking the son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and his family, taking photographs and videos of them and forwarding license plate details to Chinese officials. Her nationality has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear who is representing her legally. She is scheduled to appear before a federal court in Los Angeles on Monday.
Taiwan condemns 'transnational repression'
Taiwan's Presidential Office confirmed that relatives of President Lai were targeted, though it did not specify whether the son was the sole target. Spokesperson Karen Kuo described the episode as a textbook example of transnational repression, stating that Taiwan condemns such conduct in the strongest terms for disregarding human rights and national sovereignty while attempting to intimidate, suppress or harm advocates of freedom and democracy and their relatives.
Decades of cross-strait tension
Taiwan and China have been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, yet Beijing continues to claim the self-ruled island as its own territory. Lai, who took office after winning election in 2024, has repeatedly stated that Taiwan and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to one another and that Beijing has no authority to speak for Taiwan. Chinese officials, in turn, label him a separatist and have branded him a destroyer of peace.
During his presidency, Lai has significantly expanded Taiwan's military spending, committing to raise the defence budget from 3% to 5% of GDP, and has advanced a special budget to build the T-Dome air defence system.
