Former California mayor accused of working as Chinese agent by US authorities

Former Arcadia Mayor Admits to Acting as Illegal Agent of China

A former mayor of a Los Angeles suburb has admitted to acting as an illegal agent of China, according to the US Department of Justice. Eileen Wang, 58, agreed to plead guilty to one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government from late 2020 until 2022.

Wang operated a website called the US News Center, which published content supportive of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while purporting to provide news for Chinese Americans. The site was run with Yaoning Sun, a Californian man who was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.

Wang’s activities included republishing a “PRC official-written essay” that denied allegations of genocide against ethnic-minority Uighurs in Xinjiang. She resigned as mayor on Monday, according to a statement published on the City of Arcadia’s website.

Wang faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Her lawyers stated that her conduct was related solely to her personal life and not to her conduct as an elected public official. Wang expressed regret for “mistakes she has made in her personal life” and asked for the community’s understanding and continued support.

US Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg issued a statement expressing concern over Wang’s activities, citing the importance of individuals acting only for the people they represent. China’s embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wang’s prosecution.

Source: Al Jazeera