FBI arrests woman accused of spying for China on Taiwan president's family
US authorities arrested Wanying Zhang, a 34-year-old Chinese American, at Los Angeles International Airport as she attempted to board a flight to China. She is accused of operating as an unregistered Chinese government agent who surveilled the family of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te in Seattle. Taiwan's government described the case as 'transnational repression'.
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The arrest occurred on Sunday when Zhang was apprehended at Los Angeles International Airport. According to prosecutors, she acted as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government and conducted surveillance on a close relative of a Taiwanese official. The FBI alleges that Zhang filmed the home and vehicles of President Lai Ching-te's son and his family, then reported the information to handlers in the People's Republic of China. Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 to monitor Lai's son, who works as an engineer in his 30s. A home security camera captured Zhang and an accomplice filming the family outside their residence in September 2025. Investigators discovered that her iCloud accounts contained communications with Chinese officials dating back to 2022, including photographs, videos and vehicle licence-plate details. Taiwan's presidential office confirmed that the alleged actions targeted the president's family and characterised the case as an instance of 'transnational repression'. FBI Director Kash Patel warned that the arrest signals to foreign intelligence services that the United States is taking action against espionage operations conducted on American territory.
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