A former mayor in California has resigned after admitting, under a federal plea agreement, that she acted as an illegal foreign agent for China while helping run a fake news platform in the United States.
The official, identified as Eileen Wang of Arcadia in Los Angeles County, reportedly collaborated with her then-fiancé, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, between 2020 and 2022 to operate a website called “U.S. News Center.” The platform presented itself as a news outlet targeting Chinese Americans but was allegedly used to spread pro-China propaganda.
According to court documents, Wang and Sun carried out instructions from Chinese government-linked handlers, publishing pre-written articles and political messaging designed to promote Beijing’s narratives while tracking engagement data and reporting back to their contacts.
One example cited in the plea agreement involved the publication of content denying allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which prosecutors say was part of a coordinated influence campaign.
Wang pleaded guilty in a federal court in Los Angeles and faces up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors also noted that Sun, her co-accused and former campaign manager, had earlier been sentenced to four years in prison for acting as a covert foreign agent.
U.S. authorities said the case highlights ongoing concerns about foreign influence operations targeting local politics, with prosecutors warning that Wang had risen to public office while allegedly working under foreign direction.
Sun was previously convicted for conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, with officials saying both individuals helped advance Chinese state interests while operating inside the United States.
