Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, California, has resigned after federal prosecutors charged her with acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Wang, 58, agreed to plead guilty to one count of acting in the United States as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the attorney general. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
According to prosecutors, Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, worked from late 2020 through 2022 at the direction and control of Chinese government officials to promote Beijing’s interests in the United States. Authorities said they helped circulate pro-China material through a website and coordinated with U.S.-based individuals to advance Chinese government messaging.
Court documents also cited Wang’s communications with John Chen, described by prosecutors as a high-level figure in China’s intelligence apparatus who attended elite Chinese Communist Party functions and met personally with President Xi Jinping. In one exchange, prosecutors said Wang replied “Thank you leader” after receiving praise from a Chinese government official.
Wang resigned from her positions as mayor and Arcadia City Council member effective May 11, shortly after the charge was announced. The city said the council would choose a new mayor and mayor pro tem from among remaining members and discuss representation for Wang’s District 3 seat until the next election cycle.
Her lawyers said she accepts responsibility for “past personal mistakes” and recognizes the seriousness of the charge.
Sun is already serving a four-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in 2025 to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
The case has raised concerns about foreign influence at the local-government level, particularly in communities with close cultural and economic links to China. Federal officials said the allegations show how foreign governments may seek to shape public opinion and political activity inside the United States through covert relationships.
