U.S. accuses California woman of spying for China, including surveilling Taiwan president’s son

WASHINGTON — U.S. authorities arrested a California woman on Sunday and accused her of spying on a son of Taiwan’s president at the behest of Chinese officials, the FBI said.

The FBI arrested Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday before her planned departure to China, the agency said in a statement. Authorities charged Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, with acting as an unregistered foreign agent.

Zhang surveilled a son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, the FBI said. The agency did not directly name Zhang’s alleged target, but later shared a New York Post report identifying him as Lai Ting-yu, a U.S. resident.

Taiwan’s presidential office described Zhang’s actions as a “typical case of transnational repression” and thanked the U.S. government for protecting Taiwanese citizens.

“Our country expresses the strongest condemnation of such barbaric conduct that disregards human rights and the sovereignty of nations,” spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement.

China’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party champion Taiwan’s separate identity from China, a position that frequently angers Beijing, which views the island as Chinese territory. Lai says only Taiwan’s people can decide…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business