Former California Mayor Admits Acting as Agent for Chinese Interests

Former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang Pleads Guilty to Acting as Illegal Agent of Foreign Government

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

As part of her plea agreement, Wang acknowledged that she did not notify the US government about her actions on behalf of China while promoting pro-Beijing propaganda. The former mayor operated a website called the US News Center, which published content supportive of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and claimed to provide news for Chinese Americans.

Wang worked 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. The website republished a “PRC official-written essay” that denied allegations of genocide against ethnic-minority Uighurs in China’s Xinjiang region.

Wang resigned as mayor on Monday, according to a statement published on the City of Arcadia’s website. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and has expressed regret for “mistakes she has made in her personal life.” Her lawyers stated that Wang’s conduct was limited to her personal media platform and did not affect her work as an elected public official.

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 solely for the people they represent. The case comes ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday.

Source: Al Jazeera