FBI arrests woman accused of spying on Taiwan leader’s family for China
The FBI arrested a woman at Los Angeles International Airport as she was leaving the country and accused her of spying on the Taiwan president’s family for China. Wanying Zhang, also know as Heather, surveilled the Taiwanese president’s son and his family for the Chinese Government while in the United States, according to the FBI.
Zhang, 34, was arrested on charges for working for China as an unregistered agent, Assistant US State Attorney Bill Essayli announced on social media. Zhang took photos and videos of her targets and sent license plate information to Chinese officials, he said.
Zhang was arrested as she was departing for a flight to China. Her nationality was not clear, and an attorney who represents her could not be determined. She was due to appear Monday in federal court in Los Angeles.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office confirmed President Lai Ching-te’s relatives were the targets, without specifying if it was the president’s son, saying that “this is a classic case of transnational repression.”
“Taiwan condemns in the strongest terms such barbaric acts - which disregard human rights and national sovereignty and aim to suppress, threaten, or even harm individuals advocating for freedom and democracy or their families - as such behaviour should not be tolerated in the civilised world,” spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement.The Chinese Embassy in the US did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday and the Foreign Ministry in Beijing was closed for holidays.
