Wanying “Heather” Zhang, a California realtor accused of spying for China, was photographed with members of a Chinese-American organization linked to Beijing’s intelligence services. Zhang, who appeared in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday, was arrested at LAX on Sunday for allegedly surveilling the Taiwanese president’s son in Seattle as part of an espionage plot.
A photo emerged of Zhang during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to San Francisco in November 2023. She was seen standing behind a banner for the All American Chinese Association (AACA), alongside its president, Cai Chenghua, also known as Edward Cai. The AACA has connections to organizations tied to the Chinese Communist Party’s “united front” system, which aims to build relationships with overseas Chinese communities.
Prosecutors accused Zhang of having access to $190,000 in a secret Chinese cryptocurrency account and receiving ongoing profits from it. They also highlighted her brother’s ties to the Chinese government and referenced a seized iCloud video they claimed would show Zhang as “a danger to society.” Judge Steve Kim questioned why the video had not been produced, noting that Zhang has young children.
Federal authorities allege Zhang acted as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government, traveling to Seattle in September 2025 to surveil the son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at the direction of Chinese officials. The AACA itself has not been charged with acting as an illegal foreign agent, but the photo suggests Zhang was in the general orbit of Chinese government officials well before her arrest.