Wanying Zhang, 34, an Irvine resident in Orange County, California, was arrested on 4/10 at Los Angeles International Airport before boarding a flight to Shanghai. "We arrested the Chinese agent as she attempted to fly back to China," stated Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicted Zhang on charges of being an "unregistered foreign agent," identifying Lai Dinh Du, son of Taiwan's leader Lai Thanh Duc, as her target.

Essayli emphasized the broader context of such activities, noting, "China is recruiting Chinese Americans in California for its own objectives. They are playing the long game to gain competitive advantage. In this case, the suspect was not spying on the US, but suspected of carrying out a specific operation for China."

Wanying Zhang. Photo: US Attorney's Office for the Central District of California

Zhang is a licensed real estate agent in California, working for JC Pacific Capital. Her Zillow profile indicates she brokered about 130 transactions in Los Angeles and neighboring counties. Her husband, Edric Ding, is a colleague at the company.

Federal court filings detail Zhang receiving instructions from Chinese officials to gather information and images related to Lai Dinh Du's family, including license plate details.

On 1/9/2025, Zhang and an individual identified as "Individual 1" flew from Las Vegas to Seattle. They rented a car and drove near the target's home. A security camera at Lai Dinh Du's neighbor's house recorded the vehicle parked in the area. When Lai, his wife, and one child returned home that evening, Zhang and her companion quickly sat up, pointing their phones toward the family. Zhang then informed her Chinese contact via WeChat that she had seen "that young person," stating she was recording video and sending license plate information.

The FBI obtained Zhang's WeChat messages through a search warrant for her iCloud account, providing key evidence for the indictment.

FBI arrested Zhang at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on 4/10. Photo: US Department of Justice

FBI agent Kevin Holt, a member of the Los Angeles counterintelligence team who prepared the indictment, stated that the information Zhang collected could be "useful" if Chinese officials wished to exert pressure on Taiwan's leader.

Filings also show Zhang had contact with at least two people believed to be working for the Chinese government. Communication may have begun in 6/2025, through a former classmate of Zhang's from the Institute of International Relations in Beijing. During a trip to China that same month, Zhang reportedly booked one private room in Hunan province to meet the contact and receive assignments. After the meeting, she messaged confirming she "could handle the work."

Chinese officials have not commented on the information.

Lai Dinh Du, in his 30s, is an engineer who studied in the US and works for the Dutch electronics group Philips. Lai and his wife married in 2018 and had one child born in the US in 2020.

By Ha Linh (CNN, Fox, Reuters, NY Post)