Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang admits working as a Chinese agent, running fake news website
ARCADIA, CALIFORNIA: In a shocking development that casts a big question mark over national security, Arcadia's former mayor admitted to working as a Chinese agent in the US and running a fake news website with her ex to spread Chinese propaganda.
Eileen Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022 and was later selected as mayor through the city's rotating leadership system.
Eileen Wangs pleads guilty to working as Chinese agent
Mayor Eileen Wang resigned from her position after admitting that she worked as an illegal foreign agent for China in a federal plea deal unsealed on Monday, May 11.
Wang worked with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to promote Chinese propaganda in the United States between 2020 and 2022.
Wang ran an alleged fake news website, ‘US News Centre’, which claimed to be a news source for Chinese Americans but pushed Chinese propaganda through fake news on the site. She allegedly worked with her then-fiancé, Yaoning 'Mike' Sun, to run the website, according to the court documents.
The plea notes that she "executed directives" from the PRC and peddled Chinese propaganda in the US, boosting China. She also reported back to the Chinese government, time to time, with screenshots showing how many people viewed the story.
In one of the cases, Wang was ordered to post pre-written news articles, including a PRC official-written essay, in the Los Angeles Times.
Wang worked to improve China’s image over forced labour
The exchanges mentioned in the court document indicate that Wang’s operation in the US was intended to improve China’s image around forced labour, targeting certain communities, among others, in America, particularly in the Chinese population.
“There is no gen*** in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such a rumor is to defame China, destroy Xinjiang’s safety and stability,” wrote Wang’s master, according to the plea agreement.
She reportedly complied with the order as her handler wrote back, “So fast, thank you, everyone.”
Another such conversation reveals Wang replying, “Thank you, leader,” to the PRC boss’s appreciation of the page views received by a certain piece.
Eileen Wang to face a maximum of 10 years in prison
Eileen Wang pleaded guilty to the federal charge during her court appearance in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon. She could face up to 10 years in prison.
Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said this was not the first time China had allegedly tried to influence the United States.
“Ms. Wang is just the latest to act as an agent for the PRC, and it should terrify Americans that she was able to rise to the highest levels of local office in her city,” Essayli said.
As part of the plea deal, Wang admitted that she worked under the direction of Chinese officials to spread propaganda in the US.
Prosecutors charged Sun in 2024 with conspiracy and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
