Wang Ailin (Eileen Wang), the resigned mayor of Arcadia, a city in the Los Angeles area, is set to admit to charges of 'illegally acting as an agent of China.' (Video screenshot)
[People News] Wang Ailin, who has stepped down as mayor of Arcadia, will acknowledge the accusation of 'illegally acting as an agent of China.' Following her infiltration by the CCP, Wang Ailin and her fiancé Sun Yaoning launched a fake news website in the United States, disseminating propaganda from the CCP and promoting pro-China narratives. When her work received endorsement from CCP officials, Wang Ailin would respond with posts saying, 'Thank you, Director.'
As reported by NBC News, Wang Ailin, who was elected mayor of this city with a population of 56,000 in 2022, appeared in federal court on Monday (May 11) and was released on a $25,000 bail.
The Los Angeles federal prosecutor's office has indicated that Wang Ailin faces charges of 'illegally acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States,' and she has agreed to plead guilty at a later date.
The prosecution indicated that under Wang Ailin's plea agreement, she acknowledged acting as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and failing to notify the U.S. Attorney General as required. Wang Ailin and Sun Yaoning (Yaoning, Mike, Sun, transliteration) accepted and executed directives from CCP officials through a website named 'U.S. News Centre', where they published content supportive of the CCP. Sun Yaoning had previously pleaded guilty to acting as a foreign agent last October and received a four-year prison sentence.
The indictment further stated that the prosecution claimed senior CCP official Chen Jun (John Chen) had requested Wang Ailin to publish specific content on the website in November 2021, stating: 'This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send out.'
After admitting to bribery and serving as an unregistered Chinese agent, Chen Jun was sentenced to 20 months in prison in November 2024.
Becoming a Major Propaganda Outlet for the CCP
According to The Epoch Times, Wang Ailin and Sun Yaoning jointly operated a website called 'U.S. News Centre.' While the site appeared to serve as a news source for the local Chinese community, it actually disseminated propaganda favorable to the CCP under the guidance of CCP officials, including reports that denied the existence of genocide and forced labour in Xinjiang.
Wang Ailin received pre-written press releases from Chinese Communist Party officials through WeChat and quickly published them on the 'American News Centre' website. After receiving praise from the Chinese side on one occasion, she even responded with, 'Thank you, leader.' It is shocking that an elected mayor in the United States would display such humility in front of Chinese Communist officials, which explains the significant outrage among Americans once the case was revealed. Naturally, this type of propaganda is typical behaviour that foreign agents are required to register with the Department of Justice.
Involvement in Transnational Suppression
Reports from The Epoch Times indicate that in 2023, Sun Yaoning drafted a report for Chinese Communist officials, summarising his personal experiences, which included 'a commitment to resist any hostile forces that undermine Sino-American friendly relations and any forces that seek to divide China.' The report outlined various issues related to overseas 'anti-China forces,' including opposition to the independence of Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang, as well as matters concerning Falun Gong.
Additionally, the report suggested 'utilising part of our core professional team from the Los Angeles organisation' to counter these forces. To this end, Sun's report requested $80,000 from the Chinese government to fund a demonstration supporting the Chinese Communist Party during the July 4 Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C., and to mitigate the impact of the Falun Gong float participating in the Rose Parade.
On April 4, 2023, Sun Yaoning's superior, Chen Jun, informed him, 'There are a few issues; Falun Gong has a practice site in a certain city in California. Can you create some trouble for them? If you can eliminate one or several practice sites or cause them some trouble, there will be a reward. The leaders there are waiting to meet you in person.'
In April 2023, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen visited Southern California. Sun Yao-ning provided real-time updates on Tsai Ing-wen's movements to a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) consular official based in Los Angeles and sought the official's approval to publish an article about Tsai Ing-wen's visit on the 'American News Centre' website. Additionally, Sun Yao-ning captured photographs of protests both supporting and opposing Tsai Ing-wen and sent these images to the consular official.
Inevitably Facing Legal Consequences
Wang Ai-lin's attorneys, Brian A. Sun and Jason Liang, stated on Monday that the actions in question were related to her personal life and website, and did not involve the city of Arcadia.
The lawyers remarked, 'She apologises and feels regret for the mistakes she made in her personal life.'
Wang Ai-lin faces charges that could lead to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The federal prosecutor for the Los Angeles area remarked that the CCP government intentionally groomed Wang Ai-lin as a political star, allowing her to be elected as a city council member in November 2022 and later serve as mayor, with the goal of establishing deeper influence in California. The prosecutor further noted that Wang Ai-lin's ascent to the highest levels of government is unsettling for the American public.
California Central District Federal Prosecutor Bill Essayli stated: Individuals who secretly serve foreign governments in our country undermine our democracy. This plea agreement represents the latest step in our commitment to defend our homeland and counter the CCP's infiltration of American institutions.
Experts have also analysed that the Chinese Communist Party's "Blue Gold Yellow" initiative does not spare even small cities with populations exceeding 50,000, where mayors have been compromised and turned into agents of the CCP. Consequently, the CCP is unlikely to ignore its infiltration into other areas of the United States, particularly because local officials tend to be less vigilant and more approachable. This creates a gap through which the CCP can circumvent federal agencies and exert influence on U.S. policy at the local level. △
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