As Trump visits Beijing, an LA-area mayor admits to acting as an agent for China

National Security As Trump visits Beijing, an LA-area mayor admits to acting as an agent for China May 14, 20268:06 AM ET Vanessa Romo Eileen Wang, now the former mayor of the City of Arcadia, agreed to plead guilty to one felony charge that she acted as an illegal foreign agent of China. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Frazer Harrison/Getty Images ARCADIA, Calif. — In China, President Trump is negotiating with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, in a remarkably friendly visit despite friction between the two nations on trade, sanctions, and China's role in the Iran war. Back at home, court documents unsealed this week show that a Los Angeles-area mayor reached a deal with federal prosecutors after admitting that she acted as an illegal foreign agent of China — a case experts say is emblematic of Beijing's broadening tradecraft strategy in the U.S. and around the globe. Eileen Wang, now the former mayor of the City of Arcadia, agreed to plead guilty to the felony charge accusing her of promoting the interests of the People's Republic of China (PRC) under the direction of Chinese officials, according to court filings. The 58-year-old abruptly resigned from her position on Monday, hours after the plea agreement was made public by the Department of Justice. She faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Sponsor Message U.S. vs. China: Inside a great power rivalry China's leader warns Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to a clash Federal prosecutors say that from late 2020 to 2022, Wang and a man named Yaoning "Mike" Sun ran a website called U.S. News Center targeting the area's large Chinese diaspora. (The city of roughly 55,000 residents has an Asian-majority population of about 59% as of 2024, with over 46% of residents saying they are foreign-born.) According to the Justice Department, the two used the platform to disseminate pro-China propaganda at the behest of PRC government officials while concealing their ties to the C...