Yaoyao Jiang: A Minute-by-Minute Reconstruction of the Zhang Wanying Case | MSS's Clown-Show Tailing of Lai Ching-te's Son
YouTuber "China-US Benchmarking" creator Yaoyaojiang provided a detailed reconstruction of the case in which Irvine real estate agent Zhang Wanying was arrested by the FBI. Zhang was accused of acting under the direction of officials from the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) to tail the son of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te while in the US. The program reviewed Zhang's background, WeChat chat records with Chinese state security personnel, the detailed process of renting a car and conducting stakeouts in Seattle, and analyzed the reasons behind the US side's swift and public release of the case materials as well as the legal consequences facing the individuals involved.
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Hello everyone, I am Yaoyaojiang, who loves thinking and focuses on logic. In recent years, Chen Yixin has turned the Chinese Ministry of State Security into an internet influencer department, running official accounts, hitting trending searches, and teaching the whole public how to catch spies every day. "Shake it," and you shake up a female spy; play a video game, and spies are hidden in the advertisements; even a "lying-flat influencer" can be linked to foreign forces. "A certain foreign organization funded various anti-China media think tanks to fabricate struggles, which is equivalent to being exploited." Chinese people's lives are almost entirely monopolized by foreign secret agents.
Yet what happened this time? The FBI arrested Zhang Wanying at Los Angeles International Airport, and China's own overseas intelligence operations made a fool of themselves in the process. US prosecutors charged that this Irvine real estate agent, acting under the instructions of MSS officials, ran off to tail the son of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te. Opening the affidavit made public by the federal court reveals that this amateur team from Chinese state security is even more amateur than we imagined. So, how did this woman take on this assignment? And how did she send herself straight into a US court? Let us reconstruct all of this based on the information released in the federal indictment.
Some netizens dug up an old photo of Zhang from early on, which was a guest introduction for an American version of the dating show "If You Are the One." In November 2014, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) at the University of California, Los Angeles listed her as the female guest number five for this matchmaking event. Organizations like the Chinese Students and Scholars Association are commonly referred to as CSSAs; they usually organize networking events and help international students find housing. Many CSSAs also maintain close ties with Chinese embassies and consulates, and the education section of the Chinese Consulate-General in Los Angeles has guided CSSAs in hosting Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day events at this university.
A report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission of the US Congress pointed out that such CSSAs also participate in the Chinese Communist Party's overseas United Front activities. Some CSSAs receive funding from embassies and consulates to organize political events such as welcoming Chinese leaders. Official resumes show that she graduated from the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing in 2014. The China Foreign Affairs University, commonly abbreviated as "Guoguan," is an important institution in China for training national security and intelligence personnel. The FBI stated in the documents for this case that this school has close ties with the Ministry of State Security, which frequently recruits from there. Former Foreign Minister Qin Gang graduated from the school in 1988, and Hu Xijin has also publicly mentioned Fang Fang, a spy who allegedly used her physical charm to approach US political figures for American media, who likewise graduated from this institution.
After graduating from Guoguan, Zhang studied for her master's degree in public administration at the University of Southern California, and obtained her California real estate license in 2016, starting out as a real estate agent in Irvine. She got married, had children, and naturalized as a US citizen. The English name she used was listed on posters for her real estate seminars, where her USC master's degree, sales performance, and investment background were all selling points used to attract clients. Her social media accounts contained travel, dining, and family life, as well as pictures of beautiful houses. Judging from these photos and posters, she had settled down and built her business in Southern California, and frequently participated in local social events. Doing business and making friends in the US, she also kept in touch with her college classmates whenever she returned to China. Later on, the person who brought this spy assignment to her doorstep was precisely one of her old classmates.
In September 2022, Zhang Wanying sent a WeChat message to an old classmate from the University of International Relations, calling him by a nickname, while he referred to her as 'Wang Nei'. The two chatted about the pandemic after returning to China and also talked about their teachers. Zhang said: 'Yes, the last time we met was in 2019, it has been 3 years since I returned to China. Damn pandemic, please say hello to Teacher So-and-so for me.' Here, the teacher's name was redacted. 'Since I graduated and left China, I haven't seen how the teacher is doing at work. Which bureau in the Ministry are you in again?' The old classmate replied: 'Work is as usual, let's meet up when he returns to China?' He also added that he saw that he and his children were living a wonderful life.
'Which bureau in the Ministry are you in again?' This sentence led the FBI to believe that she had long known her old classmate worked for the Ministry of State Security (MSS) in China, and had only forgotten which bureau he was in. Both this old classmate and the 'Hangzhou senior' who appears later do not have their names disclosed in court documents, so we will refer to them as Chinese Official No. 1 and No. 2. Their names and specific departments were also redacted, so we will use 'old classmate' and 'Hangzhou senior' to refer to them.
In 2024, the tenth anniversary of their university graduation, the old classmate sent Zhang Wanying a group photo from the reunion. In the photo, someone is wearing a shirt printed with the words '2014 Class, Public Administration Department, University of International Relations, 10th Anniversary Reunion'. One living in the United States, one working for the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), the connection between the two had never been broken.
By March 2025, a US address appeared in their chat. Zhang said she would return to China at the end of the month, go to Beijing, and have a small gathering. Then she asked about an address the old classmate had mentioned before. Zhang said: 'The address you mentioned last time, I only remember the number, I forgot the signature at the end, is it So-and-so's signature?' Here, the number and the name were both redacted. And this old classmate said: 'Thank you for remembering, we have already resolved that matter, no need to trouble you. We will meet when you return to Beijing.'
The address mentioned in this WeChat message is in California, and was once related to a Taiwanese elected official who publicly opposed the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Seattle residence that was later staked out was a different address.
By June, this old classmate introduced another person who needed help. On June 9, the old classmate sent a WeChat message saying: 'By the way, another senior from the Ministry of State Security (MSS) wants to see you. But he is in Hangzhou, if you are willing, I can give him your WeChat first.' Zhang Wanying replied: 'Okay,' and added a shy emoji. The next day, the Hangzhou senior added Zhang and reported his own name and the name of the introducer. Zhang replied: 'Hello, senior.'
On June 16, the Hangzhou senior asked Zhang Wanying when she would return to the United States and wanted to arrange a meeting. She said it was not yet decided, probably next month, and if there was a chance, she would meet this senior in Hangzhou. Then he said: 'Okay, welcome. I just happen to want to ask you about a house in the United States.' Zhang Wanying replied: 'Okay, you can ask me any questions you have.'
It sounds very normal for a real estate agent to receive a housing consultation introduced by an acquaintance. Zhang agreed first, then turned back to ask the old classmate about the senior's identity. Zhang said: 'Brother, that senior who added my WeChat before, did we know him before? I added him, but he didn't say his name, nor did he say which department he was from, so I'm just asking.' Then another shy emoji. The old classmate said that the other party studied international politics and was from the class of 2008, and Zhang Wanying probably didn't know him back then. Subsequently, he told Zhang the senior's name. It can be seen that Zhang Wanying was not without doubts from beginning to end, but the old classmate only told her the other party's name and grade, and did not answer which department he specifically worked in, so she continued to contact the senior.
By the end of June, both sides began to arrange a meal. This time, Zhang Wanying was still in Changsha. This senior said they could come to Changsha and asked if she was free next Monday or Wednesday night. Zhang also asked: 'Are you coming to Changsha for fun?' 'Monday is fine.' This Hangzhou senior replied: 'Also to have some fun, and for the meal.' Then he changed the time. The senior said: 'Just checked, there are no tickets for Monday, is Wednesday okay?' Finally, this senior sent another message saying that he had booked the high-speed rail arriving in Changsha at 6 PM on Monday, see you then.
On June 30, Zhang was responsible for booking a private room. She first asked the senior: 'Senior, how many people are you?' The Hangzhou senior replied: 'Two people.' Zhang Wanying encountered a small problem when booking the private room, she sent a voice message explaining: 'When I booked, there were no small private rooms suitable for the three of us, so I booked a room for ten, ask them and see how they arrange it.' The identity of the other guest brought by the senior was also not disclosed. The FBI believes that being introduced by an acquaintance in a government department and then meeting alone in a private room is consistent with the practice of intelligence personnel assigning tasks in person.
On July 7, the senior asked her again if the time for her to come to Hangzhou had been decided. Zhang Wanying said she had business to handle in the US and had to fly back that very day. The senior first said, "So sudden, we were waiting for her to come to Hangzhou to meet." Then he sent a voice message saying, "The Hangzhou senior said it doesn't matter, I'll wait for you to return to the US, and we can chat on WeChat about that matter from last time. We'll have to trouble you then, we originally wanted to give you some guarantee during this meeting, to write you a guarantee." What guarantee? The affidavit had no answer, nor did it list any payment records. FBI agents only judged that this phrase might refer to some kind of benefit. Zhang's reply was, "It's fine, we'll contact on WeChat. I might return to China next month, which is August, to check if I have time to go over there, and I'll handle this matter. If there's no chance, I'll still return to China in August anyway.
In August, Zhang returned to China again. She first said she would go to Hangzhou in mid-August, and on August 17, the senior sent her the address of a Courtyard hotel in Hangzhou, saying, "Junior schoolmate, the room at this hotel has been booked, it's for Thursday night." Zhang Wanying forwarded this address to the companion who later went on the mission to Seattle with her. The indictment did not state the name of this companion, so for the convenience of the story, let's just call him the companion.
She told her old classmate that the senior wanted to invite her to Hangzhou to talk about that matter from last time again. The old classmate replied, "Okay, you just contact the senior. I'm not very clear about the specific work details, do what you can." Followed by a grinning emoji. "Did you only stay in China for a few days before returning to the US?" the senior asked. Zhang then sent a voice message adding that at the dinner in Changsha, the senior had already roughly explained this matter to him. She had rushed back to the US last time due to affairs, and as soon as she arrived in China this time, she notified the senior. Based on this information, the FBI judged that they met again at the Courtyard hotel in Hangzhou on August 21. A few days later, Zhang Wanying returned to the US and began arranging the itinerary for Seattle.
On August 26, she messaged the senior, "Senior, I'm about to land in Los Angeles. I'm busy with work in Los Angeles this week, and might go to Seattle next week." The Hangzhou senior replied, "Okay, thank you for your hard work."
On August 29, 2025, Zhang Wanying and a man flew from John Wayne Airport in California to Las Vegas. On September 1, the two flew from Las Vegas to Seattle. Their plane tickets were in the same order, and both were paid for by Zhang with her own credit card. This man was the companion we mentioned earlier. Court documents did not make his name public, only mentioning that he seemed to work in the construction industry around Los Angeles. When boarding, Zhang Wanying reported her progress to the Hangzhou senior, saying she was now boarding to Seattle. She also took a picture of her boarding pass and sent it over. Later, agents checked airline records, and the name, flight, and itinerary all matched.
At 2:08 PM, the two rented a black Nissan SUV at the Seattle airport, registered under the companion's name and phone number, and paid for with his credit card. The surveillance camera at the rental counter captured the two standing together.
What they were looking for was the eldest son of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who lived in Seattle. Court documents did not write down the name of this eldest son. The FBI later confirmed the target was the son of the Taiwan President, and the media further disclosed that he was Lai Ting-yu, who worked as an engineer at a local Philips company and lived with his wife and children.
Zhang Wanying and the companion drove near Lai Ting-yu's home, preparing to gather information on the house, vehicles, and the comings and goings of their family members. Around 4:50 PM, the black Nissan SUV stopped near the residence, and the two waited in the car. The neighbor's surveillance camera captured the spot where they parked and their subsequent actions. Around 6:00 PM, Lai Ting-yu returned home. Not long after, his wife and children also arrived. The two people in the car quickly straightened up, took out devices suspected of being mobile phones, and took photos or videos of the family.
At this time, Zhang Wanying sent a message to the Hangzhou senior, saying, "Saw him, it's a young man." That young Hangzhou senior said, "Can we do a voice call?" Zhang said, "I'm recording a video." The Hangzhou senior said, "Okay." Subsequently, Zhang Wanying sent two license plate numbers. Agents checked with the Washington State Department of Licensing and found that both cars were registered under the name of the person being monitored.
When Lai Ting-yu's family returned home, taking photos and videos, and then reporting to Chinese officials, this was no longer simply looking at a house, but staking out and tailing at the residence. While the companion was filming, Zhang also lowered her seat—agents believed he was avoiding the view from outside, but the neighbor's camera had already recorded the location of the car and the actions of these two people. Zhang Wanying also sent the senior a video of about 16 seconds of Lai Ting-yu's house. In the background of the video, the companion said, "Arrived, this is the house." Zhang Wanying's voice said, "Yes." The senior received the video and replied with three thumbs-up emojis. Running to the doorstep of the Taiwan President's son's home, waiting for people to return to film the house, write down license plates, and finally crossing WeChat with the other end giving three thumbs-up emojis, the communication method for this sensitive mission was just like praising a travel photo in a WeChat group.
At 8:42 PM, they changed cars. From renting the car to changing it, a total of six hours and thirty-4 minutes had passed. Following that, Wanying Zhang's credit card was charged for another transaction at the Seattle Airport Marriott, amounting to $265.25. On September 2, the two flew back to Los Angeles, with their return flight still paid for by him. The Associated Press also reported that Wanying Zhang had complained on her social media account about the Seattle airport being too crowded.
Working fieldwork and acting as a spy for the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), staking out someone's doorstep, did not stop him from simultaneously sharing his travel experiences. He used his own credit card to buy tickets, used his own phone to report to his superiors, and took the initiative to send his boarding pass to his senior. Daily life, real estate, business, and this stakeout were all tied to his own mobile phone account and credit card. Later, investigators pieced his itinerary together step by step by following these records.
His senior received the video, and Zhang returned home. A few days later, the senior came back asking for more photos. As for Zhang, she could only pressure her companion to pass the photos on to her. On September 8, Zhang urged her companion to send her the photos from Seattle. She specified using Apple's AirDrop feature, and even sent a voice note explaining, "Later on, AirDrop the photos to me." Zhang's voice note further stated, "Don't send the Seattle photos via WeChat or text message; they must be AirDropped back to me. He wants me to send them back today." The FBI believed that her insistence on avoiding WeChat or text message photos was an attempt to leave fewer traces. Yet on that exact same day, the companion still sent her a video via WeChat. He said not to use WeChat, but the other person used it anyway. Although the video retrieved by investigators later could not be played due to technical issues, it left behind a thumbnail that could be compared with the neighbor's surveillance footage.
By September 11, the senior was pressing again: "Hello junior, can you also send me photos of the house? Thank you." Zhang then turned around and asked her companion for photos of the house and the vehicles at the entrance. The other person replied, "I deleted them all yesterday, even the ones in the recently deleted folder. I thought they were useless. I still have a few photos of the Chinese person's garage." This message was accompanied by several crying emojis. Zhang hurriedly told him to look for them again. Zhang used a voice note to say, "See if you can recover the photos from the recently deleted folder; they shouldn't be completely gone yet." The companion said, "The ones inside were deleted, they're gone, just deleted yesterday." Zhang replied, "Alright then, let's leave it at that."
The two flew to Seattle to rent a car for a stakeout and photography, and after finishing the job, they didn't even confirm whether all the photos had been handed over, but they thoroughly deleted the files. Zhang, therefore, had to explain things to her senior. She sent a voice note saying, "Senior, I'm sorry, after you sent the message that day and didn't contact me, my friend deleted all the photos." Zhang's voice note continued, "There were two cars parked at the entrance of the house, flying the American flag, and the outside of the house looked very ordinary." The senior from Hangzhou replied, "Okay, it's fine, thank you junior.
Judging from this chain of execution, the risks were clearly divided: the person giving the instructions was in China, while those who boarded planes, rented cars, and conducted stakeouts were all in the United States. Once the records for plane tickets, car rentals, and payments were uncovered, the first to be found would naturally be the ones executing the mission. The FBI regarded staying in seats, insisting on AirDropping images, and deleting photos as evidence of attempts to hide their operations and destroy evidence. They wanted to leave as few traces as possible, but what was the result? The people still could not be hidden, and not all the requested photos were successfully handed over.
Even though the photos were not fully handed over, the connection between Wanying Zhang and her senior was still not broken. Next, they were discussing another task.
On October 10, 2025, the senior from Hangzhou came looking for Zhang again. The senior from Hangzhou said, hello junior, when is that biggest social media influencer you mentioned last time coming to Shanghai? Wanying Zhang replied, next year! The senior from Hangzhou said oh, good, that's still early, you'll be coming back for a trip, right? This time, Wanying Zhang was able to pull strings for her senior, leading to an American influencer with hundreds of millions of fans.
On October 22, he looked for another contact. This person was not the companion who went to Seattle; let us temporarily call him the influencer contact. Zhang Nan asked this influencer contact, remembering you said that Mengmeng the influencer is going to China, do you need government resources? I have a classmate working in a ministry, and during our chat last time, they mentioned that the government seems very interested. The other person said they would collaborate with a very famous YouTube blogger early next month, and another collaboration is scheduled for next year. Following that, he talked about government resources and a seven-day trip to China. This influencer contact left a voice message saying that if their ministerial government is interested, we can connect the resources, no problem. Afterwards, the contact said this is next month's collaboration with the YouTube blogger who has the most fans in Asia. The influencer contact's voice message added that this blogger's trip to China will last a total of seven days, and they will take the other party to the first stop; the details are still being discussed, and if you want other people to participate, that's fine too, I think the other party will be willing to wait.
Two days later, Zhang forwarded this information to his Hangzhou senior alumnus, saying, Oh, this influencer's trip to Shanghai next month is still being discussed, and then added the numbers most likely to pique the senior's interest. Zhang said this influencer's YouTube subscriber count was as high as 130 million. The Hangzhou senior replied that it would be very popular. What is his itinerary in Shanghai? Zhang said it was still under discussion. Zhang added, If you are interested in participating, I can introduce you. On previous occasions, the senior had asked him for help, but this time, hearing that the other party needed government resources, he proactively approached the senior, offering to broker the connection between the two sides. He mentioned ministries and government FB to the influencer's contact, which led him to believe he was well aware that this senior was an official from the state security (MSS).
Who on earth has 130 million subscribers? Based on this number, netizens guessed they might be the Stokes twins, who make challenge and prank videos on YouTube. In September 2025, an article introducing this channel already listed their subscriber count as exceeding 130 million. Official reports from the Macao Government Tourism Office also showed that the pair participated in that year's creator events. However, the Macao event was from October 24 to 28, whereas the chat mentioned going to Shanghai next month. Although the subscriber count, approximate time, and location did not quite match up, this identity still could not be firmly established. Another identity clue pointed to a YouTube account run by a Los Angeles real estate agent named CJ, and some netizens speculated based on event group photos that the person operating this account was very likely the influencer contact in the files, but this identity was not confirmed either. Other netizens posted group photos from overseas Chinese community events, claiming that Zhang was a member of the Southern California Association of Chinese Americans. An investigative report published by the Hong Kong Democracy Council and Students for a Free Tibet listed this organization as part of the United Front mobilization network of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in California.
For content creators, filming in China, being hosted by someone, and gaining access to certain locations are all much easier with official backing. For CCP officials, arranging a trip for an influencer with hundreds of millions of followers meant securing an opportunity for continued contact. By voluntarily standing in the middle, Zhang neatly connected the two sides. Zhang Lei also told the senior that this trip back to China would probably last about a month. The senior replied with a strong emoji, saying there was plenty of time and they could still talk slowly. Later, federal agents included all these cooperation negotiation messages into the same affidavit.
On March 9, 2026, a federal judge approved the search of iCloud accounts associated with someone traveling with Zhang. Investigators cross-referenced communications and photos from the cloud with airlines, car rental companies, bank records, and neighbor surveillance one by one. They had deleted the photos from their phones, but the records elsewhere remained. Plane tickets, car rentals, bank transactions, cloud communications, and neighbor surveillance—investigators pieced these fragments together, and the six-plus hours of whereabouts in Seattle reappeared.
On June 11, Zhang sold his former second home for about $6 million and subsequently moved to another residence. The sold house had six bedrooms and an area of about 560 square meters. A former neighbor told CBS in an interview that he introduced himself as Haose and remained very friendly. Homeowners in this area were usually older, yet this couple acting as real estate agents were very young, making it hard to imagine how they could afford such an expensive house. What puzzled them even more was that the house was almost brand new when purchased, and the couple still spent a significant amount of money on renovations, only to sell the house 2 years later at a price just slightly higher than the purchase price. Factor in the renovation investment, and to him, this transaction made no sense at all.
According to Sounding News citing prosecution statements, U.S. officials had been tracking Zhang Wanying since 2025. Learning that he was about to fly to Shanghai, the FBI accelerated the roundup, deciding to make a move before Lin Jingyan did. On October 3, FBI agents completed the affidavit supporting the criminal complaint, and a federal magistrate judge subsequently signed the relevant documents. The next day, Zhang Wanying arrived at Los Angeles International Airport, preparing to fly to Shanghai. However, this time he failed to board the plane, as the FBI arrested him at the airport. In videos and photos released by the Department of Justice, he was led away by law enforcement officers wearing a white jacket. On the same morning, the FBI also searched his residence in Irvine. A neighbor told CBS that about ten FB agents arrived at the time, several of them sitting around a table in the garage, and the agents providing security outside were also wearing gloves.
On October 5, Zhang made his first appearance in a federal court in Los Angeles. He was still wearing the same outfit from his arrest at the airport—a white zippered jacket, sweatpants, and white sneakers—with shackles on his wrists and ankles. Her husband sat in the spectator gallery. Standing at the defendant's podium, she briefly looked back at her husband. Before answering the judge's questions, the bottleneck unlocked her handcuffs. She only confirmed her name and stated her understanding. The plea hearing for guilty or not guilty did not take place on the day of the indictment; instead, a public defender represented him initially, meaning a lawyer temporarily appointed by the court. The judge reviewed his financial situation, determined that he did not meet the criteria for legal aid, and demanded that he hire private counsel as soon as possible. As for whether a decision could be made before the trial or wait until the detention hearing on October 7, it remained to be seen.
On the day of her arrest, CBS called her husband, who only said, I don't know anything right now. After the selection process ended, reporters followed up and asked her husband if he knew about the matter. In the video from the scene, the husband held up a folder to cover his face and did not answer. Whether this husband was Zhang Wanying's accomplice has now become a matter of speculation online, and his identity has not been confirmed. The NBC correspondent in Beijing asked about this, and the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they were unaware of the situation, then added that China consistently opposes the hype surrounding so-called accusations of Chinese espionage and opposes slandering or smearing China. This is also the standard response from the CCP when facing such cases. In 1985, Larry Wu-Tai Chin was arrested in the United States; he had worked as a translator for the CIA for many years and had long passed secret intelligence to China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson at the time said, We have no relationship with this person, and the U.S. accusations are baseless. The following year, Chin was found guilty, and before the court could announce his sentence, he died in prison. In 2019, Wang Wei, a Huawei employee in Poland, was arrested on suspicion of engaging in espionage for China. The Chinese Embassy in Poland responded by opposing deliberate smears lacking factual basis and baseless fabrications. The Foreign Ministry emphasized that it was an isolated case, and Huawei quickly fired the person, claiming his alleged actions were unrelated to the company and that the incident damaged the company's reputation. When handling this matter at the time, the Foreign Ministry did request consular access for Huawei and later helped pay for Wang Wei's legal fees, but the helpless outcome already shows that after working for the CCP for decades, once an incident occurs, even this relationship can be denied in one breath. The Party-state must save face, while those who work for it must bear the cost of losing their freedom or even their lives. When the CCP needs them, they make them work for the Party-state; when an incident occurs, they first sever ties, leaving the consequences to the individuals and their families. Why are we able to recount Zhang Wanying's case in such detail? What time the car was rented, what time the target was spotted, and even how the photos on her phone were deleted can be reconstructed 100%. This is because the public case materials from the U.S. are very thorough, laying out almost the entire operation process before the public, which is very rare in similar past cases. On October 24, Zhang Wanying was arrested at the airport. The prosecutor announced the news on social media that day, the Department of Justice released the case details the next day, and the FBI subsequently pointed out that the person they were tailing was the son of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. From the arrest to the announcement of the case, and then to the public disclosure of the target's identity, the speed and the amount of detail were such that it was almost like live-streaming the entire crackdown process to the outside world. So why did the U.S. release this so quickly and in such detail this time? Because this is not an ordinary case of transnational repression; the target was the family member of Taiwan's democratically elected president, and the tailing occurred in the United States. The Chinese state security directed people in the U.S. to collect their addresses, vehicles, and daily activities, threatening not just one family, but also touching upon U.S. national security. The prosecutor directly pointed this out in the statement. The FBI also emphasized that the U.S. must defend the sovereignty of its democratic allies. FBI agents further pointed out in the affidavit that once this intelligence falls into the hands of the CCP, it could be used to pressure the Taiwan president in the event of a future conflict. If the CCP uses the safety of family members to coerce him, it could influence his decisions during a Taiwan Strait crisis. If the U.S. allows such things to happen, U.S. soil would become a place for the CCP to threaten Taiwan's leaders. By then, whether the U.S. can protect residents within its borders and whether the security commitments made to democratic partners are still worth anything would likely be called into question. Therefore, the U.S. side's rapid announcement of the case this time is not just reporting a criminal case, but also issuing a warning to Beijing and drawing a red line. The prosecution alleges that, under the direction of Chinese officials, she tailed people in the U.S. for the CCP without registering as a foreign agent with the U.S. Department of Justice as required by law. This charge does not require her to steal U.S. national secrets; the prosecution only needs to prove that she knew she was acting under the direction of a foreign government while carrying out tasks in the U.S. without filing the required registration. Once convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison. Beyond the criminal case, her U.S. citizenship may also be subject to review. Li Ping is a recent example; he long listened to the Chinese Ministry of State Security to collect information on Chinese dissidents and democracy activists, and was sentenced to 4 years in prison in 2024. On October 1 of this year, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit seeking to revoke his U.S. citizenship. Zhang Wanying also became a U.S. citizen through naturalization later; she may face more than just a criminal trial. If subsequent investigations reveal that she concealed important facts when obtaining citizenship, or that she did not meet the conditions for naturalization at the time, the Department of Justice could file a separate lawsuit to apply for the revocation of her citizenship.
This incident reminds me of when I was reporting live in Washington on citizens protesting the visit of Xi Jinping. At the scene, quite a few pro-China supporters pointed their cameras directly at the protesters' faces to film them up close. I myself was filmed in this close-up manner and was threatened on-site. What Zhang Wanying wanted to warn about are two types of people at the scene. The first type points their mobile phones at protesters, collects their faces, names, and whereabouts, and then hands the information over to Chinese embassies and consulates. The second type holds US passports or green cards, receives a daily subsidy of $80, eats boxed lunches, and, following the arrangements of Chinese officials, joins the welcoming crowd for Xi Jinping to wave flags and shout slogans. One spies on people for the CCP, while the other creates momentum for the CCP. Their tasks differ, but they violate the same law: taking orders from a foreign government to act on its behalf in the US without registering as a foreign agent under the law.
Therefore, do not brush off filming as mere casual recording, nor should you dismiss showing up in support as just a justified way to make extra cash. What US law investigates is not whether you are holding a mobile phone or a Five-Sized Red Flag, but rather: who gave you the instructions? Who paid you? Whose mission are you actually carrying out? When Chinese officials ask you to step forward, they may say thank you for your hard work, but once the case breaks, the person who issued the instructions remains hiding in China, with their name buried in court documents. The one standing in an American courtroom in shackles will be you yourself. $80 and a boxed lunch are not worth risking a maximum sentence of 10 years, or even gambling with your own US citizenship—this is the warning Zhang Anliu gives to all these people. Well, that is all we will discuss today. If this episode has value for you, please like it,
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