US charges California woman with spying for China and monitoring Taiwan president's son

U.S. federal authorities arrested Wanying Zhang, a 34‑year‑old resident of Irvine, California, at Los Angeles International Airport on October 4 before she was scheduled to depart for China. The FBI identified her also as “Heather” and charged her with acting as an unregistered foreign agent.

According to the Justice Department, Zhang was directed by Chinese officials to travel to Seattle in 2025, where she allegedly gathered and transmitted photographs, video footage and license‑plate information concerning a son of Taiwan’s President Lai Ching‑te and his family. The target was later identified in media reports as Lai Ting‑yu, a U.S. resident.

Federal prosecutors said Zhang employed tradecraft techniques to avoid detection while conducting the surveillance and failed to register her activities with the U.S. government, a requirement for individuals acting on behalf of a foreign power. The charge reflects a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Zhang is scheduled to appear before a federal court in Los Angeles on October 5. At the time of the filing, it was not clear whether she had retained a defense attorney. The Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment.