US accuses mainland China of targeting Taiwan leader’s family in surveillance case
The United States has accused mainland China of hiring an American citizen of Chinese origin to surveil the family of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, days after President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington. The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Sunday arrested 34-year-old Zhang Wanying at Los Angeles International Airport, alleging that she attempted to flee the country and charged…
The United States has accused mainland China of employing an American citizen of Chinese origin, Zhang Wanying, to surveil the family of Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te, in a case that unfolded shortly after President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington. The FBI arrested Zhang at Los Angeles International Airport, charging her with acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government.
She is alleged to have surveilled Lai's son and his family in Seattle, filming their home and vehicles, and sharing the footage with handlers in China. Zhang is set to make her initial court appearance on Monday and remains in custody. China's foreign ministry has denied knowledge of the situation and criticized the sensationalization of "Chinese spies" to slander China.
Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
