A California mayor pleaded guilty to acting as an agent for China. Foreign policy experts aren’t surprised

Foreign policy experts say they are not surprised at China’s efforts to exert its influence over local US communities after the mayor of a southern California city resigned this week and said she would plead guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent of Beijing.

Eileen Wang, 58, agreed to plead guilty to a felony count related to the charge on Monday and could face up to 10 years in federal prison. According to a plea agreement filed by the justice department, Wang and an associate worked with the People’s Republic of China to promote Beijing’s interests, touting pro-PRC propaganda on a website purported to be a news source for the local Chinese American community.

The revelation sent shockwaves through the city of Arcadia, which is often referred to as the “Chinese Beverly Hills” due to its large and affluent Chinese American population. Of the city’s 56,000 residents, roughly half are of Chinese descent.

Wang resigned her post last week after serving on the city council since her election in 2022; city councillors in Arcadia rotate into the mayoral seat, and Wang was mayor when she resigned. City officials have called the charges “deeply troubling”, and urged Arcadia to move forward and not let one woman’s actions “define our community”.

Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, said China’s efforts to exert influence beyond its borders have become “very, very, very common”. Beijing has an entire agency dedicated to meddling in foreign governments that often works with diaspora communities, with a goal to shift narratives, reduce dissent and gain control of political discourse in other countries.

“China is interested in having influence over politicians from a whole range of [countries] … ranging from the local to the national level, as well as the media, as well as student groups … there’s an enormous effort to do so,” Kurlantzick said.

“Their focus, increasingly, has been on mayors, state legislatures, etc, because those people have less knowledge and less background and fewer staff to protect them.”

The justice department said Wang’s plea relates to her work before she was elected to the Arcadia city council. But Kurlantzick said part of China’s hopes are that people can later “ascend” to other, higher-ranking positions.

A broad definition of ‘foreign agent’

Federal law broadly requires those in the US to register their work if they are acting on behalf of a foreign government, either under the Foreign Agents Registration Act or other US statutes. Wang was charged with violating part of the US code that required her to do so, and faces penalties of up to 10 years in prison or a fine of $250,000.

Rose Chan Loui, a legal expert at the University of California at Los Angeles who has helped non-profits navigate foreign agent report requirements, said US law is quite broad when it comes to actions that require registration, or what type of content would run afoul of federal statutes.

“It doesn’t matter what the content is, as long as you think it will influence the public’s opinion. That’s the only intent you need to have,” she said. “If they can say that you are acting as an agent of that foreign person, and you are engaging in political activities for that foreign principle, you are required to report those activities.

“If you know that what you’re doing can have the effect of influencing public opinion about that foreign entity, then [US law] can catch you.”

City hall in Arcadia, California, on 13 May. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Kurlantzick stressed that such efforts are not exclusive to Chinese American communities or those with links to China. He pointed to an Associated Press investigation in 2023 that found China had made deep inroads with officials in Utah, including the then Utah House speaker. At the time, the legislator described the state as an “old friend” of China.

China looks to ‘fight hostile narratives’

Mareike Ohlberg, a senior fellow in the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshal Fund of the United States, said China’s efforts to see foreigners advance its interests abroad were nothing new, but had grown more sophisticated in recent years.

“It’s quite common for them to try and rope foreigners, either speaking out on China’s behalf and kind of repeating key talking points, or to amplify stuff that was already out there,” Ohlberg said. China’s mentality, she said, is that you “need to fight hostile narratives and you need to make sure there’s no space for them”.

“It’s seen as a concrete threat that you have narratives out there that you can’t control,” she went on.

One of the articles on Wang’s website that the justice department pointed to in its charges was written by a Chinese official. The essay claimed there was “no such thing as ‘forced labor’” and “no genocide” in Xinjiang, an attempt to counter detailed reports on China’s longstanding subjugation of Uyghurs.

Rushan Abbas, a Uyghur American activist whose sister was detained and arrested in 2018, said Wang’s arrest was a disturbing reminder of China’s efforts to stifle dissent and shape the global narrative. Abbas spoke out about China’s treatment of Uyghurs at a US event eight years ago, just a week before her sister, Gulshan Abbas, was arrested. Her sister was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.

“More than anything, it’s upsetting, but not surprising,” Abbas said of Wang’s plea. “It’s a very disturbing reminder that the Chinese Community party, its reach is global. … I’m glad the American public is finally starting to realize what kind of government this is, and how everyone around us can be manipulated.”

‘Deeply painful’ moment for a California city

In Arcadia, officials have moved to both cast blame and urge the city to move on from the episode.

Sharon Kwan, a city councillor who served as Arcadia’s mayor in 2025 and 2026, preceding Wang, said in a statement the episode had become a “deeply painful and sobering moment” for the city.

“For more than a year, I publicly raised concerns about transparency, accountability, and the dangers of foreign influence in local government,” she said. “As concerns surrounding Mayor Eileen Wang continued to grow publicly, I formally requested … that the City Council place an item on a future agenda to discuss whether Mayor Wang should resign or step down.”

“At the time, I felt that raising concerns about transparency and accountability was being treated as the problem itself, rather than the underlying federal investigation involving the sitting mayor,” she went on. “Looking back now, I believe the council majority failed the residents of Arcadia by refusing to seriously confront the gravity of the situation.”

Paul Cheng, who is serving as the mayor pro tem until a permanent replacement is chosen, said the episode warranted transparency, accountability and professionalism from the city’s elected officials. But he defended the city council’s work in recent months as allegations surrounding Wang spread.

Portraits of the five-member city council, with former mayor Eileen Wang’s photo removed, at city hill in Arcadia, California, on 13 May. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

“The suggestion that City Council should investigate based on innuendo or speculation creates a dangerous precedent,” Cheng said in a statement. “Instead, to truly help a federal investigation, the best way to cooperate is to make sure yourself available and get out of the way. Politicizing the moment is distracting and disunifying.”

He went on to say any effort to turn Wang’s resignation and upcoming plea into a “political firestorm” risked tearing the community apart.

“Right now, the City of Arcadia needs its elected officials to remind our residents that our police officers, firefighters, public works crews, and city staff are still working hard for this community,” Cheng said. “Arcadia’s best days lie ahead because one person does not define our community.”

A public servant led ‘astray’

Wang’s attorneys, Brian Sun and Jason Liang, shared a statement saying their client felt her service on the Arcadia city council had been one of the “true highlights” of her life, but said “events in Ms Wang’s personal life – including her trust and love for apparently the wrong person who ultimately led her astray – require her to step away from public service”.

“Ms Wang, for her part, recognizes the seriousness of this charge and has agreed to accept responsibility for her past personal mistakes,” the statement reads. “She apologizes and is sorry for the mistakes she has made in her personal life. Her love and devotion for the Arcadia community have not changed and did not waver.

“While this decision comes at great personal cost to Ms Wang, she believes it is in the best interests of her supporters, her constituents, and the City.”

Dominic Lazzaretto, the Arcadia city manager, stressed that while the council took the charges seriously, the allegations were for conduct that took place before Wang was sworn into office. He said an internal review found no city finances, staff or decision-making had been involved in Wang’s actions.

“We remain committed to serving our residents with transparency, consistency, and the highest standard of public trust,” Lazzaretto said in a statement on Monday. “The City is ready to assist federal authorities if called upon to do so.”

Arcadia will select a new mayor and mayor pro tem from the remaining councilmembers at its next meeting and will determine how Wang’s district will be represented until the November election.

Wang’s attorneys expect her to next appear in court on 29 May.