The mayor of Arcadia, Eileen Wang, abruptly resigned Monday after federal prosecutors announced charges accusing her of acting as a covert foreign agent for China.
Wang has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony charge that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Under the plea agreement, prosecutors said Wang, 58, and an associate, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, acted on behalf of the People’s Republic of China to advance the country’s interests through propaganda campaigns. Authorities said one of the platforms they used was U.S. News Center, which presented itself as a news outlet serving Southern California’s Chinese American community.
Prosecutors said that in June 2021, PRC officials contacted Wang through encrypted WeChat messages and instructed her to distribute prewritten articles. One essay drafted by PRC officials and later published in the Los Angeles Times stated:
“There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such rumor to do defame China, destroy Xinjiang’s safety and stability, weaken local economy, suppress China’s development.”
According to the United States Department of Justice, Wang posted the article on her website just minutes later and sent the PRC official a link to it. Other individuals in the group chat reportedly did the same. Shortly afterward, the PRC official responded, “So fast, thank you everyone.”
The Chinese government has faced accusations of committing genocide against ethnic minorities, primarily Muslims, in the Xinjiang region and of enforcing forced labor practices.
Federal prosecutors said that in August 2021, Wang and three other members of the WeChat group shared links to the same article across their respective “news” websites and once again received thanks from the PRC official.
Prosecutors also said that in November 2021, Wang worked with a senior member of PRC intelligence to coordinate propaganda articles. Court documents identified the official as John Chen, who reportedly had direct access to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chen later pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the PRC and conspiracy to bribe a public official, receiving a 20-month federal prison sentence.
Meanwhile, Yaoning “Mike” Sun was sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty in October 2025 to acting as an illegal agent for a foreign government. Wang was expected to appear in court for the first time Monday.
“Individuals elected to public office in the United States should act only for the people of the United States that they represent,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg. “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.”
Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022. The city selects its mayors on a rotating basis.
As of Monday afternoon, Wang’s official biography page was still online and described her as “the daughter of proud immigrants who came to California seeking their American Dream.”
Before winning election, Wang served with the Parent Teacher Association at Camino Grove Elementary School and also held the role of president of the American Southwest Chamber of Commerce USA.
“The allegations at the center of this case, that a foreign government sought to exert influence over a local elected official, are deeply troubling. We take them seriously,” the city said in a statement Monday. “Following an internal review, we can confirm that no city finances, staff or decision-making processes were involved.”
Officials in Arcadia said the City Council is expected to discuss appointing a replacement for Wang, who represented the city’s 3rd District, until the November 2026 election.