California Woman Arrested over Alleged Chinese Spy Mission Targeting Taiwan President's Son

US authorities have arrested a California woman accused of working as an unregistered agent for China and conducting surveillance on the son of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, the FBI said.

Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, was arrested on Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport shortly before she was due to fly to China. The 34-year-old Irvine resident has been charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent.

Alleged Surveillance Mission

According to the US Justice Department, Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials. She allegedly gathered photographs, videos and vehicle licence plate information relating to Lai's son and his family and passed the material to Chinese officials.

The FBI said Zhang used methods intended to avoid detection and did not inform US authorities that she was allegedly working on behalf of a foreign government.

The FBI did not initially identify the alleged target by name. US media later identified him as Lai Ting-yu, a US resident and son of the Taiwanese president.

Arrest Made Before Flight to China

Zhang was detained at Los Angeles International Airport before her planned departure for China. She is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles.

Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether Zhang has obtained a lawyer. The Chinese embassy in Washington and Taiwan's representative office in the US had not immediately responded to requests for comment, according to reports.

Taiwan Condemns Alleged Operation

Taiwan's Presidential Office confirmed that relatives of President Lai were targeted and described the alleged operation as a case of transnational repression.

Taiwanese officials thanked the US government for taking action and condemned the alleged surveillance as an infringement of human rights and national sovereignty.

Case Comes Amid US-China-Taiwan Tensions

The case comes amid continuing tensions between Beijing and Taipei. Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party support Taiwan's distinct political identity, while China considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes moves toward formal independence.

The United States does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but remains the island's leading international security partner and a major supplier of military equipment.

The allegations against Zhang are now set to be examined in federal court. The case could add another point of tension to already sensitive US-China relations, particularly over Taiwan and allegations of Chinese intelligence activity on US soil.