A website that claimed to serve Chinese American readers has become the center of the federal case that forced Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang to resign and agree to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government.
The site, called U.S. News Center, was operated by Wang and Yaoning "Mike" Sun and allegedly presented itself as a local news source for the Chinese American community while publishing content at the direction of officials from the People's Republic of China, according to the Justice Department.
Wang, 58, was charged with one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government. In a related filing, she agreed to plead guilty to the felony count, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, DOJ said.
The case shows how federal prosecutors say Beijing's influence operations can move through platforms that look like ordinary community media. According to Wang's plea agreement, she and Sun worked from late 2020 through 2022 under the direction and control of Chinese government officials to promote pro-PRC propaganda in the United States.
Prosecutors cited one June 2021 episode in which a PRC official sent Wang and others pre-written material through WeChat, including an article denying abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Minutes later, Wang posted the article on her own website and sent the official the link, DOJ said.
The digital trail became even more explicit in August 2021, according to prosecutors. After a Chinese official requested edits to an article, Wang allegedly made the changes, sent back the revised link and shared a screenshot showing the piece had been viewed 15,128 times. When the official replied, "Great!," Wang answered, "Thank you leader."
Wang also allegedly communicated with John Chen, described in court documents as a high-level member of China's intelligence apparatus. DOJ said Wang asked Chen to post a "news" article from her website and wrote, "This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send." Chen was sentenced in 2024 to 20 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to acting as an illegal agent of China and conspiracy to bribe a public official.
Sun, Wang's former associate and one-time fiancé, is already serving a four-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in 2025 to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. He was also listed in campaign filings as treasurer for Wang's 2022 election campaign.
Wang was elected to the Arcadia City Council in November 2022. The mayor in Arcadia is selected on a rotating basis from the five-member council, and Wang had assumed the mayor's role in February before resigning after the federal case became public.
City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto said the investigation involved individual conduct and that the alleged activity ended after Wang was sworn into office in December 2022. He also said no city finances, staff or decision-making processes were involved.
Federal officials framed the case as part of a broader fight against covert foreign influence. "Individuals in our country who covertly do the bidding of foreign governments undermine our democracy," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky said Wang "secretly served the interests of the Chinese government."
Wang's attorneys told AP she accepts responsibility for "past personal mistakes" and said her "love and devotion for the Arcadia community have not changed."
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
