Former Arcadia mayor Eileen Wang has admitted to acting as an illegal agent of China, according to the United States Department of Justice.
US authorities said Wang agreed to plead guilty to one count of acting on behalf of the Chinese government between late 2020 and 2022 without notifying the US government, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
Prosecutors stated that Wang promoted pro-Beijing propaganda while operating a website called US News Center, which presented itself as a news platform for Chinese Americans while publishing content supportive of the People’s Republic of China.
According to the Justice Department, Wang worked together with Yaoning Sun, who was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty in 2025 to acting as an illegal foreign agent.
Authorities said Wang republished an essay written by Chinese officials that denied accusations of genocide against Uighur minorities in the Xinjiang region.
Wang resigned from her position as mayor on Monday, according to a statement released by the City of Arcadia. She now faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
Her lawyers, Brian A Sun and Jason Liang, said Wang wanted to apologise for mistakes in her personal life. They stressed that the case was connected to the media platform she operated and not to her actions as an elected official.
The lawyers added that Wang’s commitment to the Arcadia community had not changed and asked residents for understanding and continued support.
US Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg described the case as deeply concerning, stating that public officials in the United States should act only on behalf of the American people they represent.
China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on the case.
The prosecution comes ahead of a planned meeting in Beijing between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The summit is expected to focus on issues including the US-Israel war on Iran, trade relations and the status of Taiwan.
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