Statements on the Zhang Wanying Case: China's Foreign Ministry Says It Is Not Familiar With the Case and Opposes Hyping "Chinese Spies"; U.S. State Department Vows to Protect People in the U.S.

Wanying Zhang, a resident of Irvine in Orange County, California, was arrested on October 4 at Los Angeles International Airport on charges alleging she acted at the direction of Chinese officials to surveil the U.S.-based family of a senior Taiwanese government official; a federal grand jury indicted her on October 18 on conspiracy and unregistered-foreign-agent charges, as GSM has reported. In the days since the arrest, China's Foreign Ministry, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State, along with Taiwan's Presidential Office, Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have all commented publicly on the case.

China's Foreign Ministry, responding to a Reuters inquiry on October 5, said it was "not familiar" with the situation, and that China has consistently opposed the sensationalization of so-called "Chinese spies" to slander and smear China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not address the specific allegations in the complaint.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest in an October 5 press release. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg called the central allegation — that Zhang, at the behest of the People's Republic of China, covertly surveilled relatives of a high-ranking foreign government official in the United States — "deeply troubling," and said the National Security Division, U.S. Attorney's Offices, the FBI and other law-enforcement partners would remain vigilant. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said Zhang is charged with acting at the direction of Chinese government officials to spy on the family of a senior Taiwanese official in the United States: "She violated our laws and will be held accountable in our courts. We will aggressively investigate and prosecute illegal foreign operations on American soil."

A U.S. State Department spokesperson, responding on background to Taiwan's Central News Agency on October 5, said the United States is committed to defending its sovereignty, safeguarding the safety of its communities, and protecting individuals in the United States from foreign governments and regimes that overreach in an effort to silence, intimidate, harass, harm or coerce people.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X on October 5 that allegedly surveilling a foreign leader's family on U.S. soil for China and then trying to catch a flight back to Shanghai was "not happening," and told foreign adversaries that America is not their playground and that the FBI is hunting hidden national-security threats.

In Taiwan, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo called the case a typical example of transnational repression, expressed the strongest condemnation of conduct that disregards human rights and the sovereignty of nations, and thanked U.S. judicial authorities for their assistance and protection.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued a press statement on October 5 strongly condemning Beijing for using personnel to surveil and gather information on the Taiwanese president's relatives. The council said that, by its count, China's transnational repression targeting Taiwan has involved at least 126 people in 140 instances, and that its purpose is not only to target the president or officials but to intimidate all Taiwanese people and create a chilling effect. The MAC noted that the surveillance carried out in this case by local collaborators acting at Beijing's direction constitutes a federal felony in the United States but would not be punishable under current Taiwanese law, exposing a gap in Taiwan's legal framework, and said the government is actively revising the Anti-Infiltration Act to close it. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng added on October 6 that the government will issue public guidelines explaining how people can seek help when facing cross-border repression.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a stern condemnation on October 5, called on the international community to jointly adopt countermeasures, and said it would strengthen intelligence sharing through prevention, protection, countermeasures and cooperation with democratic partners, according to the Central News Agency.

The case remains in court proceedings: following the grand jury indictment, Zhang is scheduled to be arraigned on October 23 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Related:

Accused Chinese Agent Wanying Zhang Makes First Court Appearance; Hearing Continued to Wednesday

Irvine Woman Wanying Zhang Indicted on Conspiracy and Unregistered Foreign Agent Charges

Rep. Judy Chu Issues Statement on Zhang Wanying Espionage Case, Says She Is 'Deeply Troubled' by the Allegations

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的美国国务院总部 Harry S. Truman Building（资料图）。照片：美国国务院官方照片，公有领域，经 Wikimedia Commons（File:Exterior of the United States Department of State Harry S. Truman Building, Washington, D.C., spring 2024 - 10.jpg）。Photo: The Harry S. Truman Building, headquarters of the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. (file photo). U.S. Department of State photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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