US authorities have arrested a California woman and accused her of acting on behalf of Chinese officials to surveil the son of Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te.
The FBI arrested Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday as she was preparing to travel to China. The 34-year-old Irvine resident has been charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
According to the FBI and US Justice Department, Zhang allegedly carried out surveillance of Lai’s son, identified in reports as Lai Ting-yu, a US resident. Investigators said she travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials.
US authorities allege that Zhang subsequently provided Chinese officials with photographs, video footage and vehicle licence plate information involving the Taiwanese president’s son and his family. The FBI said she used methods intended to avoid detection.
A criminal complaint cited by CBS News alleges that Zhang was introduced to a Chinese government official in 2025 and later received instructions connected to the surveillance operation. Investigators said the information could potentially have been used to track the movements and location of members of the Taiwanese leader’s family.
Zhang was arrested before her planned departure from the United States. She is expected to appear in federal court in Los Angeles, while it was not immediately clear whether she had obtained a lawyer to represent her.
The Chinese embassy in Washington and Taiwan’s representative office in the United States had not immediately responded to requests for comment, according to Reuters.
The case comes amid heightened tensions between Washington, Beijing and Taipei. Taiwan’s government under President Lai promotes the island’s separate political identity, while China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes moves toward formal independence.
The United States does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but remains its main international supporter and a major supplier of military equipment to the island. The allegations against Zhang are subject to the US judicial process, and the charges do not constitute a finding of guilt.