US accuses California woman of spying for China, surveilling Taiwan president's son

US authorities arrested a California woman on Sunday and accused her of spying on a son ‌of Taiwan's president at the behest of Chinese officials, the FBI said. The FBI arrested Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday before her planned departure to China, the agency said in a statement. Authorities charged Zhang, 34, ‌of Irvine, California, with acting as an unregistered foreign agent.

Zhang surveilled a son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, the FBI ‌said. The agency did not directly name Zhang's alleged target, but later shared a New York Post report identifying him as Lai Ting-yu, a US resident. Taiwan's presidential office described Zhang's actions as a "typical case of transnational repression" and thanked the US government for protecting Taiwanese citizens.

"Our country expresses ⁠the ​strongest condemnation of such barbaric conduct ⁠that disregards human rights and the sovereignty of nations," spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement. China's foreign ministry said it was "not familiar" with the situation, and ⁠that it had "consistently opposed the sensationalisation of so-called 'Chinese spies' to slander and smear China."

Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party champion Taiwan's separate identity ​from China, a position that frequently angers Beijing, which views the island as Chinese territory. Lai says only Taiwan's ⁠people can decide their future. The Justice Department said Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and sent them photos, video ⁠and ​license plate information of the Taiwanese president's son and his family.

Zhang used tradecraft to avoid detection and never notified Washington that she was acting for a foreign government, Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney for the Central District of ⁠California, said in a statement. It was not immediately clear whether Zhang has a defense attorney. She will appear on ⁠Monday in a Los Angeles ⁠federal court, Essayli said.

Washington does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the United States is the island's most important international backer and weapons supplier.