Eileen Wang: The US Mayor Who Admits to Being a Chinese Spy
Former Mayor of Arcadia, Los Angeles, California, United States (US), Eileen Wang has admitted to being a spy for the Chinese government. Prior to this admission, Wang was known as a Democratic Party politician.
As reported by The Hill and the Los Angeles Times, Wang is the daughter of a Chinese immigrant family living in California. Her father was a doctor working at the University of Southern California, while her mother was an acupuncture specialist. Wang moved to Arcadia in the early 2000s.
She joined the Democratic Party. As a politician, Wang was known for being active in education issues.
This 58-year-old woman once served as a leader in the Parent-Teacher Association for Camino Grove Elementary School. She also served as president of the Southwest US Chamber of Commerce.
Wang was then elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022. She subsequently became mayor through the city’s rotating leadership system, where the mayor is selected from among the five city council members. She made history as the first Chinese-American woman to become a member of the Arcadia City Council.
Resignation from Position Due to Being a Chinese Spy
However, Wang resigned from the city council on Monday (11/5) and relinquished her position as Mayor of Arcadia after being charged by the US federal government as the case progressed.
She admitted to being an unregistered foreign agent for China in the US territory. This was stated in court documents that were made public on Monday (11/5) local time.
In the case involving her, Wang was accused by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of using a news website she managed to publish pro-China content under the direction of Beijing government officials between 2020 and 2022.
One of the contents was an essay denying genocide and forced labour in Xinjiang.
A man suspected of collaborating with Wang in the pro-China propaganda scheme pleaded guilty last October and is currently serving a four-year prison sentence.
“Based on her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” said FBI Counterintelligence and Espionage Division Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky in a statement.
“Let this serve as a clear warning: individuals acting on behalf of foreign governments to influence our democracy will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice,” he emphasised.
Wang could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if found guilty by the court. She is expected to deliver her formal plea in a trial to be held in the coming weeks.