Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang Resigns After Pleading Guilty to Acting as Chinese Agent

Eileen Wang resigned as mayor of Arcadia, California on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government. The 58-year-old admitted to federal authorities that she secretly served the interests of the Chinese government, according to the FBI.

She had been elected to the Arcadia City Council in 2022 and became mayor in February 2026. Wang's plea agreement states that she and Yaoning “Mike” Sun operated a media platform they believed was tied to her fiancé. Sun pleaded guilty to the same charge in October and is serving a four-year federal prison sentence.

The pair promoted propaganda for the People's Republic of China through a website called U.S. News Center that was geared toward Chinese Americans living in the San Gabriel Valley, prosecutors said. Wang and Sun executed directives from PRC representatives and sometimes sought permission from Chinese government officials before posting content, the plea agreement said.

Although the charges were filed this week, Wang's name had been associated with the allegations for years. The Los Angeles Times reported in 2024 that Chinese government officials had asked for information on Wang while she campaigned in Arcadia and described her as a "new political star" in a complaint filed against Sun.

Wang became a prominent member of the Asian American community in Arcadia. She was honored by Rep. , in 2024 for her leadership and efforts to improve the lives of Arcadia residents. In an emailed statement, Chu said the recognition occurred before the allegations became public and that she was shocked and disappointed by the case.

Chu pushed back against anti-Asian sentiment that appeared online after the charges were announced. "The Asian American community has already weathered stigma, prejudice, and violence, fueled by rhetoric from President Trump and his administration," her statement read in part.

Social media responses to FBI Director Kash Patel's announcement of the case on X included suggestions to investigate other prominent Asian American women in politics and calls for violent punishment. Advocates expressed concern that the rhetoric fits a pattern of discrimination against Asian communities, particularly Chinese immigrants.

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Mark Jeung, professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University, said the comments reflect a long history. He cited the 19th-century "yellow peril" stereotype that portrayed Asians as threats to the West, as well as violence following the emergence of Covid-19 in China in 2020.

A survey by the Asian American Foundation this year found that 1 in 5 U.S. adults worry Chinese Americans pose a threat to society, and more than 1 in 5 Asian American Pacific Islanders reported being harassed or insulted because of their race in the past year.

Dahni K. Tsuboi, CEO of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, said the response paints an entire community as suspicious. She referenced the 1982 killing of Vincent Chin in Detroit, which became a galvanizing moment for the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

Tsuboi noted that such incidents of harassment continue. Wang's attorneys said her political work in Arcadia was separate from the charge. "She apologizes and is sorry for the mistakes she has made in her personal life," they stated. " The case was announced as President Donald Trump visited Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.