lolliplay Romance revealed in China’s alleged scheme to influence local election
FILE – The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Zhangjiakou, China, on Feb. 2, 2022. A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
LOS ANGELES – A Southern California man arrested Thursday on federal charges for allegedly acting on behalf of the People’s Republic of China to influence a local election is engaged to an Arcadia City Councilwoman, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Times reported that the local politician listed as “Individual 1” in the criminal complaint against Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, of Chino Hills is Arcadia City Councilwoman Eileen Wang, who won her District 3 seat on Nov. 8, 2022.
Two sources familiar with the investigation told the Times Wang is “Individual 1.”
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The complaint described Sun as Individual 1’s campaign manager and business partner and said the address Sun registered with the DMV was a home owned by Individual 1, now identified as Wang.
The criminal complaint filed Thursday in Los Angeles federal court charges Sun with acting as an illegal agent of a foreign power. He is also charged with conspiring with another man, Chen Jun, who was sentenced to federal prison in November for acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China — also known as PRC — and plotting to target US-based practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China, federal prosecutors said.
According to the complaint, Sun served as the campaign manager and close personal confidante for the then unnamed Southern California politician who was running in 2022 for a seat on the city council of a San Gabriel Valley city that was not named in the court papers.
ADVERTISEMENTDuring the campaign, Sun allegedly communicated with Chen regarding his efforts to get the politician elected. Chen discussed with Chinese government officials how the PRC could “influence” local politicians in the United States, particularly on the issue of Taiwan, according to the complaint.
China has ongoing hostilities against Taiwan and is opposed to any formal declaration of its independence. China continues to claim control over Taiwan, citing a 1971 United Nations General Assembly resolution.
Wang has not been charged with any crime and it is unclear whether she was aware of Sun or Chen’s alleged activities on behalf of the Chinese government.
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Sitting at wooden benches, men and women stack tobacco leaves in one hand –- the components must be dry but soft, like the velvety texture of leather.
Data released by the BSP on Tuesday showed the public sector’s foreign borrowings from July to September this year went up by 36 percent from the $2.81 billion in the same period last year.
Her Arcadia City Council website identifies her as a longtime resident, educator and the “daughter of proud immigrants who came to California seeking their American Dream.”
Wang has not commented on the criminal charges against Sun or confirmed their engagement.
During her campaign, Wang cited concerns about public safety and homelessness and vowed to be a “ strong voice for her neighborhood and take a direct role in addressing resident and public concerns she had seen and heard throughout her 15 years of community service.”
Earlier this year, US Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) honored Wang as one of the “2024 Congressional Women of the Year,” an honor “given to women nominated by people in their own cities and communities.” No information was given about how Wang was nominated.
In a statement cited by the Times, Chu said Wang had a history of public service to her community and was the first Asian American woman elected to the Arcadia City Council in 119 years. She was a leader in the community, helping to establish a new Health committee, supporting new affordable housing projects and implementing crossroads pallets at street intersections.
“When we honored her, the entire city council and the leaders of the Arcadia community came out to support her,” Chu’s statement continued. “I do not personally know Mike Sun, nor does my husband. We have seen him accompany her to events, but we have never engaged in a conversation with him.”
Former Walnut City Councilman Joaquin Lim told the Times the Chinese government has little to gain from a politician serving at the local level.
“That’s one of the angles — an anticipation of this person running for higher office,” he said. “This is not just happening in America.
It’s happening in England. It’s happening in Australia, it’s happening in Canada.
When I read about Eileen, I said, `OK, well, I’m just surprised, in this case it’s the San Gabriel Valley.’ ”
Shortly after Wang was elected, Chen allegedly instructed Sun to prepare a report on the election that was sent to Chinese government officials, who responded positively and expressed thanks, according to the federal complaint affidavit.
Chen also sent a message to Wang stating that she was “doing a good job, I hope you can continue the good work, make Chinese people proud,” the affidavit states.
About a month after the election, Chen arranged a lunch at a Rowland Heights restaurant with Sun and others, a gathering that Chen described to a PRC official as a “core member lunch,” the affidavit alleges.
winstar4d slotCourt papers further allege Chen subsequently described the lunch as “successful” as participants agreed to establish a “US-China Friendship Promotional Association.”
Wang did not attend the meeting, but Chen described “the politician” as being part of the association with Sun serving as vice president. “This is the basic team dedicated for us,” Chen wrote to the Chinese government official, prosecutors allege.
“This case highlights the breadth of the PRC’s relentless intelligence and malign influence activities targeting the United States,” according to a statement from Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
Early last year, Sun and Chen drafted two reports to PRC officials — one of which requested an $80,000 budget to fund additional pro-PRC activities and to combat “anti-China forces” in the United States, the DOJ alleges.
After Chen and Sun discussed a planned trip to the PRC to meet with “leadership,” and after Chen directed Sun to schedule a meeting with the Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, Sun and Wang traveled to China in late August 2023, according to federal prosecutors.
The charge of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, while the offense of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States carries a possible sentence of up to five years, prosecutors noted. (CNS)
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