Arcadia Mayor Accused of Acting on Behalf of Chinese Government
Former Arcadia Mayor Pleads Guilty to Acting as Illegal Agent of China
Eileen Wang, the former mayor of Arcadia, is set to plead guilty to charges of acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). This development comes after Wang was accused of serving Chinese government interests through a "news" website.
Wang, elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022, reached a plea agreement with federal authorities. Alongside her, Yaoning “Mike” Sun of Chino Hills allegedly operated the "U.S. News Center," a website that aimed to be a news source for the Chinese American community from late 2020 through 2022.
The DOJ outlined that Wang and Sun acted under the directives of Chinese officials, promoting content favorable to the Chinese government while disseminating propaganda on its behalf. “It is deeply concerning that someone who previously received and executed directives from PRC government officials is now in a position of public trust at all, but particularly so because that relationship with that foreign government had never been disclosed," stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg.
One notable incident occurred in June 2021, when Wang and Sun received an essay draft from a Chinese official via WeChat, instructing them to counter an article from the LA Times regarding Xinjiang. Within minutes, they published a response on their website, asserting there was no forced labor, including in cotton production, in the region. A PRC official expressed gratitude, stating, "So fast, thank you everyone."
Additionally, Wang published content at the direction of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in November 2021.
Following the unfolding of these events, Wang resigned from the city council and vacated her position as mayor on Monday. In her plea agreement, she acknowledged her work for the Chinese government on U.S. soil without notifying the U.S. government.
Sun, her co-conspirator, is currently serving a four-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in October 2025 to similar charges.
Wang’s court appearance on Monday indicated that she could face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Arcadia has a significant Asian population, with Chinese residents representing a large portion of the community.
