The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested a woman on charges of spying on the son of Taiwan’s President, William Lai Ching-te, on behalf of China.
The woman, identified as Wanying Zhang, was arrested on Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport before she could depart for China.
Zhang, also known as Heather, is a resident of Irvine, California. She has been charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Bill Exley, First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, stated that she would appear in a federal court in Los Angeles on Monday.
In a post on X, Exley referred to Zhang as a “Chinese foreign agent.” He noted that Zhang had “used covert tactics to evade detection.”
The FBI stated that Zhang had conducted surveillance on the son of Taiwan’s President. Initially, the agency did not disclose the individual’s name; however, a press release issued later by the US Department of Justice identified him as Lai Ting-yu.
According to the US Department of Justice complaint, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 under the direction of Chinese officials. There, she collected photographs, videos, and vehicle license plate information regarding the Taiwanese President’s son and his family, subsequently sending the data to China.
Exley stated that Zhang failed to notify the US Attorney General that she was acting on behalf of a foreign government—an act that constitutes a violation of federal law.
Taiwan’s President, William Lai Ching-te, and his party, the Democratic Progressive Party, maintain that Taiwan is an independent nation separate from China. Beijing, however, considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.
The United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, under US law, Washington is obligated to provide Taiwan with the means necessary to build its self-defense capabilities.
Taiwan is striving to enhance its defense capabilities to deter a potential attack by China. Meanwhile, the United States delivered two F-16V Block 70 fighter jets to Taiwan this week.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged in January of this year to ensure the ‘reunification’ of China and Taiwan. He also described this long-standing goal as ‘inevitable.’
