Daijiworld Media Network – Los Angeles

Los Angeles, May 12: Eileen Wang, mayor of the Los Angeles-area city of Arcadia, has resigned after agreeing to plead guilty to illegally acting as an agent of the Chinese government, US federal authorities said on Monday.

Wang, who was elected mayor of Arcadia in 2022, appeared before a federal court on Monday and was released on a USD 25,000 bond.

According to the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, Wang has been charged with one count of acting in the United States as an unregistered foreign agent on behalf of China. Officials said she has agreed to formally plead guilty in the coming weeks.

“By her own admission, Eileen Wang secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” said Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence and espionage division.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Wang, along with Yaoning “Mike” Sun, promoted pro-China propaganda in the United States through a website called “US News Center”.

Sun had earlier pleaded guilty in October 2025 to acting as a foreign agent and is currently serving a four-year prison sentence.

According to Wang’s plea agreement, she admitted to working under the direction of Chinese government officials without notifying the US Attorney General, as required by law.

Investigators said Wang and Sun received directives from officials linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to publish pro-China content on their website. In some cases, they reportedly sought approval from Chinese authorities before posting articles.

Court documents further stated that a senior Chinese official identified as John Chen allegedly instructed Wang in November 2021 to publish material requested by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chen was sentenced to 20 months in prison in November 2024 after pleading guilty to bribery and acting as an unregistered Chinese agent.

Wang’s lawyers, Brian A. Sun and Jason Liang, said the case was linked to her “personal life and media activities” and had no connection to the administration or governance of Arcadia city.

“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,” the attorneys said in a statement.

The charge against Wang carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, although prosecutors are expected to recommend reduced sentencing guidelines as part of the plea agreement.

Authorities said the charge and plea agreement were initially filed in April and formally unsealed on Monday.

Following the development, Arcadia city officials confirmed Wang’s resignation on the city’s official website. The City Council is expected to select a new mayor during its next meeting.

Arcadia, located about 13 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles in California’s San Gabriel Valley, is known for its large Asian-American population, with nearly 59 per cent of residents identifying as Asian, according to census data.