A Southern California mayor abruptly resigned Monday after federal prosecutors accused her of secretly operating as an agent for the Chinese government while building her political career in the United States.
Eileen Wang, a Democrat who served on the Arcadia City Council and as the mayor, agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge tied to acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China without notifying U.S. authorities, according to the Justice Department.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Wang, 58, stepped down from office the same day the Justice Department announced the case.
“As of May 11, 2026 Eileen Wang resigned from the Arcadia City Council, vacating her position as Mayor,” the city said in a statement posted online.
“At its next meeting, the City Council will select a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from among the remaining Councilmembers and will begin discussing how Arcadia’s District 3 will be represented until the next election cycle in November 2026.”
Federal prosecutors say Wang spent years working alongside her former fiancé and campaign manager, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, coordinating with Chinese government officials while helping spread pro-Beijing propaganda inside the United States.
According to the Justice Department, the activity stretched from 2020 through 2022 and involved efforts directed by Chinese officials to influence narratives aimed at Chinese Americans.
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Authorities say Wang and Sun operated a website called U.S. News Center that claimed to be a local Chinese-language news source.
Prosecutors said the operation was actually a propaganda platform controlled behind the scenes by Chinese government interests.
Sun, 65, previously pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government and is currently serving a four-year federal prison sentence.
Prosecutors say Wang never disclosed to the U.S. government that she was allegedly acting under the direction of Chinese officials.
“Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
“It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and executed directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust at all, but particularly so because that relationship with that foreign government had never been disclosed.”
The case files outline repeated communications between Wang and Chinese officials concerning propaganda stories that were allegedly pushed through the website.
In one exchange cited by prosecutors, a Chinese government official contacted Wang in June 2021 through a messaging application and sent over “prewritten news articles,” including an essay that had appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
One message pushed back against accusations involving China’s treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
“There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such rumor is to defame China, destroy Xinjiang’s safety and stability,” the message read, according to prosecutors.
Shortly after, authorities say Wang published the material to her website and sent the Chinese official a link confirming it had gone live.
“So fast, thank you, everyone,” the official allegedly replied.
“Thank you leader,” Wang responded, according to court documents.
Federal prosecutors say Wang also sent Chinese officials audience engagement numbers and article traffic analytics after propaganda stories were published.
In one August 2021 exchange described in the plea agreement, Wang reportedly sent screenshots showing one article had generated more than 15,000 views after Chinese officials asked for edits.
“Great!” the official allegedly replied.
The Justice Department also highlighted Wang’s alleged communication with John Chen, described by prosecutors as a senior figure tied to China’s intelligence apparatus.
Court documents say Chen had personally met Chinese President Xi Jinping and attended elite Communist Party gatherings and military events.
Chen later pleaded guilty in federal court in New York to acting as an illegal agent of China and conspiracy to bribe a public official.
Prosecutors say Wang communicated with Chen in November 2021 while her political profile in Arcadia was continuing to rise.
Sun simultaneously served as campaign manager during Wang’s successful 2022 City Council run.
Wang was first elected to the five-member Arcadia City Council in November 2022.
Arcadia operates under a rotating mayoral structure in which council members cycle into the mayor’s office.
The Justice Department announcement triggered immediate warnings from federal officials about foreign influence efforts targeting American institutions.
“All Americans should be alarmed to learn an elected official was brazenly spreading propaganda on behalf of the Chinese government,” Patrick Grandy, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said in a statement.
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said the case reflected broader concerns involving covert foreign influence campaigns operating inside the United States.
“Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy,” Essayli said.
“This plea agreement is the latest success in our determination to defend the homeland against China’s efforts to corrupt our institutions.”
Essayli later issued an even sharper warning about Wang’s influence in American politics.
“Ms. Wang is just the latest to act as an agent for the PRC and it should terrify Americans that she was able to rise to the highest levels of local office in her city,” he remarked.
The FBI also warned the case should serve as a signal to others operating on behalf of foreign governments.
“By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” commented Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division.
“Let this serve as a clear warning: Individuals who act on behalf of foreign governments to influence our democracy will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice,” he noted.
The resignation and criminal case landed as President Donald Trump prepared for a high-stakes visit to China this week.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally announced Trump’s invitation Monday.
Trump is expected to arrive Wednesday evening before participating Thursday in a welcome ceremony and bilateral meeting with Xi.
A bilateral working lunch between the two leaders is also scheduled for Friday before Trump returns to the United States.
The meetings come amid tensions involving global trade, Taiwan, energy security, and advanced technology competition between Washington and Beijing.
Chinese officials are reportedly focused on preventing the return of tariffs Trump imposed last year that climbed as high as 145% before both countries agreed to a truce in October.
Another growing concern centers around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route through which roughly half of China’s crude oil supply passes.
Beijing has also joined Pakistan in diplomatic efforts surrounding the ongoing US-Israel conflict involving Iran.
Officials from China and Pakistan unveiled a five-point proposal in March aimed at securing a ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also traveled to Beijing last week in a visit viewed as a demonstration of China’s influence in the Middle East.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly suggested China should pressure Iran over instability in the region.
“I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told,” Rubio said. “And that is that what you are doing in the Strait is causing you to be globally isolated. You’re the bad guy in this.”
Trump, however, appeared less confrontational when discussing China’s relationship with Iran during remarks last week.
“It is what it is, right?” Trump told reporters. “We do things, too, against them.”
All Chinese are spies??
Scary
Of course she is pleading guilty. Don’t for one second believe it is because she is sorry. She wants to stay in the U.S. because that is her only hope of staying alive. In China her life will be “not so good” because she was caught. The U.S. intelligence agencies are really very bad at vetting foreigners, especially from China. How many members of Congress have been found to have hired Chinese and Middle East nationals to work in their offices. Who is supposed to vet these people anyway ?? Male members of Congress have a real penchant for “honey pots” like Eric Swalwell and his mistress Fang Fang.
Espionage is punishable by death.
Publicly hang Wang and fang.