Arcadia seeks new safeguards after council member pleads guilty to spying for China

Arcadia councilwoman Eileen Wang, a U.S. citizen elected in 2022, stepped down after agreeing to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent of China, a charge that involved posting government-directed content on a Chinese-American news site. City leaders, including Mayor Paul Cheng, are drafting a set of safeguards—ranging from more scrutiny of foreign ceremony requests to mandatory training on influence operations—to protect the municipality from similar incursions.

Councilmember Sharon Kwan suggested a questionnaire for candidates to disclose any foreign ties, while some residents demand even stricter residency requirements. The scandal has heightened anxiety among the city’s largely Chinese-American population, who fear increased suspicion. Federal authorities have recently searched homes of officials in San Bernardino County, Ontario, and West Covina as part of a wider Southern California investigation into Chinese influence. The episode underscores the challenge of balancing immigrant community pride with vigilance against foreign interference.