‘Saw him, young male’: US realtor's 'creepy' texts expose China's bid to spy on Taiwan President’s son

Zhang allegedly surveilled Taiwan President Lai’s family, filming their home and vehicles and sending the information to Chinese handlers, the FBI said.

Updated on: Oct 5, 2026, 16:51:39 IST

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Wanying Zhang, 34, a California realtor, was arrested on October 4 at the Los Angeles Airport on charges of spying for China in the US. She is accused of acting as an unregistered agent of China and spying on a “close relative of a Taiwanese government official” in the US, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said Sunday in a post on X.

Zhang allegedly surveilled Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's “son and his family — filming their home, vehicles, and reporting information back to (People’s Republic of China) handlers”, the FBI said on its rapid-response account on X.

Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 and, acting at the direction of Chinese officials, sent “photos, videos, and license plate information to those officials”, Essayli said.

Exchange of texts shows Zhang was allegedly spying on Taiwan President’s son

A text exchange over WeChat, China’s messaging app, allegedly reveals that Zhang was surveilling Ting-Yu Lai, an engineer in the US and son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. A leaked conversation from September 2025, published by the New York Post, shows Zhang chatting with a Chinese official after spotting the president’s son.

The exchange went as follows:

ZHANG: Saw him. Young male. It’s that young one.

PRC Official 2: Are you free for an audio call?

ZHANG: I am video-recording.

PRC Official 2: OK.

ZHANG:[Redacted License Plate #1], [Redacted License Plate #2]. Two license plates.

She allegedly flew to Seattle on September 1, 2025, rented a black Nissan and drove to Lai’s son’s home, according to a court document seen by AFP.

Images from a neighbour’s security camera included in the complaint allegedly show Zhang and her associate “appearing to film” the family as they arrived home one evening, CBS News reported.

Zhang is expected to make her initial appearance in federal court on Monday.

Lai, who was elected president in January 2024, has been an outspoken defender of Taiwan’s sovereignty and is strongly opposed by Chinese leaders.

Lai’s office condemned the “barbaric acts”, confirming that the president’s family had been targeted.

“Such behaviour should not be tolerated in the civilised world,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement, thanking US judicial authorities for “their assistance and protection of our citizens”.

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