California mayor resigns after pleading guilty to secret work for China

Eileen Wang, 58, was the mayor of Arcadia in southern California. She pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent for China following an investigation by the US Department of Justice. She now faces up to 10 years in prison.

Wang worked with 65-year-old Yaoning "Mike" Sun to promote pro-China messaging through a Chinese-language website called US News Center. The site presented itself as a local news outlet for the Chinese American community. Wang carried out activities directed by officials from the People's Republic of China before she entered public office.

Wang was elected to Arcadia city council in November 2022 and later became mayor. Hours after her plea agreement became public on Monday, she announced her resignation. "Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy," said Bill Essayli, an assistant US attorney.

Court documents show Wang and others regularly communicated with Chinese officials through encrypted WeChat groups. In one example from June 2021, a Chinese official shared pre-written articles defending Beijing's position on Xinjiang and denying allegations of genocide and forced labour. Within minutes, Wang reposted the material on her website and sent the link back to the official. The official replied: "So fast, thank you everyone."

Wang had contact with John Chen, described by the DOJ as a senior figure linked to Chinese intelligence operations with direct access to Chinese president Xi Jinping. Chen lives in Chino, California and pleaded guilty in November 2024 to acting as an illegal agent of China. He was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison. Sun was arrested in December 2024, pleaded guilty to the same charge, and received a four-year prison sentence. Arcadia officials said Wang's activities ended before she took office.