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California woman arrested for spying for China and surveilling Taiwanese president’s son, officials say
CNN • • general
Key Points:
- The FBI arrested Wanying “Heather” Zhang, a 34-year-old California woman, for allegedly acting as an unregistered agent for China and surveilling the son of Taiwan’s president and his family.
- Zhang reportedly traveled to Seattle in 2025 to surveil a close relative of a Taiwanese government official, taking photos and videos as directed by Chinese officials.
- The surveillance aimed to gather information that could be used by the Chinese government to exert leverage over Taiwan’s president during potential conflicts, according to the federal complaint.
- Zhang coordinated the trip covertly and failed to notify the U.S. Attorney General of her foreign government affiliation, which is a federal offense; she is scheduled for an initial court appearance in Los Angeles.
- Taiwan’s Presidential Office condemned the surveillance as “classic transnational repression,” highlighting ongoing tensions between China and Taiwan amid the U.S. “One China” policy.
