A former mayor in Southern California has admitted to federal charges of acting as an illegal agent for China’s government, sparking worries about foreign interference and potential discrimination against Asian American residents.
Eileen Wang, who previously served as mayor of Arcadia, entered her guilty plea in federal court Friday. Her case has become a source of controversy in the community, where some fear it could lead to unfair targeting of Chinese and Asian American populations.
The city of Arcadia made history in 2024 when voters chose the first entirely Asian city council in its past. The San Gabriel Valley community has experienced dramatic population shifts over the past twenty years as people from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong have moved to the area east of Los Angeles.
Following the public disclosure of Wang’s case on May 11, the story gained widespread media attention and created tension within the quiet suburban community. Social media discussions centered on concerns about espionage and influence from the Chinese Communist Party.
“We cannot allow this moment to become an excuse for people to paint entire communities with one brush or weaponize ethnicity for political gain,” acting Mayor Paul Cheng said in a statement.
Court documents show Wang admitted to working on behalf of Chinese officials by publishing pro-Beijing content on a news website she operated, without properly registering with U.S. authorities as the law requires.
The 56-year-old politician won election to the five-member City Council in November 2022, with the mayoral position rotating among members. Wang was born in Chengdu, China, and came to America in 1995.
The San Gabriel Valley hosts the nation’s largest population of Chinese and Taiwanese residents. Starting in the 1970s, property developers promoted the area as “Chinese Beverly Hills” to attract wealthy immigrants. The growing community became a destination where newcomers could conduct daily life in Chinese, find business opportunities, and provide their children alternatives to China’s highly competitive school system. Arcadia’s roughly 53,000 residents are predominantly Asian, similar to neighboring communities.
Ted Tseng, 52, moved to Arcadia from Taiwan nearly four decades ago with his family, who left due to worries about possible conflict between Taiwan and China.
Tseng expressed concern that Wang’s charges could increase hostility toward Asian Americans and undermine their positive contributions to the area. Anxiety about anti-Asian prejudice persists, even though hate crimes have decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m just worried our image has been damaged,” Tseng said.
Federal authorities have intensified their efforts recently to counter Chinese espionage activities. In April, a defendant accused of operating a covert Chinese intelligence post in Manhattan’s Chinatown was found guilty of illegal foreign agent activities.
Wang has indicated she was deceived by her former fiance, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, who admitted to identical charges last year and is currently serving four years in prison. Sun handled finances for Wang’s 2022 campaign.
A statement from Wang’s legal team mentions her “trust and love for apparently the wrong person who ultimately led her astray.”
April Verlato, a previous City Council member who worked alongside Wang, noted that Wang and Sun shared a residence, and Sun regularly accompanied Wang to events.
Verlato believes Wang should have resigned immediately when the investigation began.
“She was being selfish, getting sworn in as mayor and not resigning when she knew she was going to be pleading guilty to something,” Verlato said.
Gene Sun, a longtime attorney in Arcadia, shared similar views.
“I don’t understand how she could have continued being a City Council member,” he said.
Given rising political tensions and economic competition between China and the United States in recent years, Chinese government attempts to exert political influence in the region are not unexpected, according to Wei Li, a professor of Asian Pacific American Studies at Arizona State University.
“A lot of countries, if they have the will and if they have the means, will try to influence their diaspora,” Li said.
Federal court records indicate Sun communicated with John Chen, who also pleaded guilty to serving as an unregistered Chinese agent, about local politicians Beijing might influence. In their reports to Chinese authorities, Sun and Chen described Wang as a “New Political Star” and highlighted her connections with mainstream U.S. politicians.
Their communications also discussed opposing “anti-China forces” including Taiwan independence advocates and the Falun Gong, an exiled anti-communist spiritual movement.
In a January 2023 message from Chen to Wang mentioned in Sun’s criminal complaint, Chen said: “You are doing a good job, I hope you can continue the good work, make Chinese people proud.”
Acting mayor Cheng described the news of her guilty plea as a “slap in the face,” and said community reactions have also been hurtful.
During a May 19 City Council meeting, some residents criticized remaining council members for allowing Wang’s actions and demanded their resignations.
“I’ve been called more names, been told to go back to China although that’s not where I’m from,” said Cheng, who arrived in the U.S. from Taiwan at age 2.
For many Arcadia residents and employees, daily routines continued normally after the news emerged. Many offered apologetic smiles when questioned about the situation, explaining they don’t follow politics closely.
Aliza Mo, who moved from China six years ago for her children’s schooling, initially thought the news reports must be overstated.
“A lot of people wondered if it was discrimination,” she said.
After learning the details of Wang’s admission, she reconsidered her position.
“I think it would be improper for anyone to be doing something like that,” she said.
