US arrests woman accused of spying for China on Taiwan leader’s family

A woman named Wanying Zhang, 34, has been arrested in the United States on suspicion of spying for China. According to the FBI, Zhang was detained at Los Angeles airport as she attempted to depart for China.

Zhang is accused of acting as an unregistered agent of China and spying on a close relative of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, specifically his son and his family. The woman allegedly surveilled Lai's son and his family, filming their home and vehicles, and reporting information back to Chinese handlers.

The arrest was confirmed by First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli and the FBI. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex the island. According to The Korea Times, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and sent photos, videos, and license plate information to Chinese officials.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, Punch Nigeria, Hong Kong Free Press, The Korea Times, Malay Mail — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.