Three years before realtor Wanying “Heather” Zhang faced arrest as an alleged Chinese agent, she attended a San Francisco event celebrating President Xi Jinping’s visit. Photographed in 2023, Zhang wore a red cap and marched beside a leader of a Chinese-American group reportedly connected to Beijing’s foreign influence sector. Though pro-Chinese Communist Party activists later assaulted protesters, Zhang’s involvement in these attacks is unsubstantiated.
Zhang, a 34-year-old mother from Orange County, now confronts federal charges for allegedly surveilling the Taiwanese president’s son in Washington, under Chinese government orders. The FBI uncovered her text exchanges with Chinese intelligence officials, plotting the secret filming of Taiwan’s first son, Lai Ting-yu, in their Seattle-area neighborhood. Security camera footage reportedly captured Zhang conducting surveillance.
A CBS News investigation highlights parallels between Zhang’s background and the infamous suspected Chinese spy, Fang “Christine” Fang, who previously engaged with Eric Swalwell. Both attended Beijing’s University of International Relations, a Ministry of State Security-run institution. Zhang later studied at the University of Southern California, obtaining a real estate license in 2016. Over the next decade, she listed over 130 properties with Irvine-based JC Pacific Corp, ranging from hundreds of thousands to over $8 million. In 2024, Zhang and her husband purchased an estate for $5.65 million, selling it for $6 million in June.
Her Instagram displays Zhang in designer outfits, dining at luxurious restaurants, traveling across North America, and shopping in Paris. Like Fang, Zhang engaged with advocacy groups for Chinese Americans. In 2022, she attended events with Chinese consulate officials, earning a “young entrepreneur” award.
Her involvement with the All American Chinese Association (AACA) connected her with officials close to the Chinese government. AACA leader Cai Chenghua, a vice chair in the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, registered as a Chinese Communist Party influence agent. In 2022, Cai organized a celebration urging Chinese Americans against Taiwanese independence, busing pro-China supporters for Xi’s San Francisco visit. Zhang appeared with Cai under an AACA banner.
AACA board member Tian Jun participates in the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, linked to China’s United Front. Cai and former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang, who confessed to acting as a Chinese agent, appear at various events. State Armor consultant Michael Lucci warns of Chinese-linked organizational activities.
State Armor adviser Jacqueline Deal notes frequent appearances of China’s United Front-linked U.S. groups in foreign-agent cases. Deal advocates these officers register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the law Zhang allegedly violated. Cai faces no current accusations. Prosecutors claim Zhang embraced her role as a Chinese agent by 2025. Traveling to China, she met a fellow University graduate. They allegedly discussed a Taiwanese critic’s address through WeChat, according to Zhang’s iCloud records.
Zhang reportedly visited China again in June, receiving instructions to monitor the Taiwanese president’s son. She later updated her handler, “I can take care of this thing.” Completing her surveillance, Zhang returned to Los Angeles, later arrested while attempting to fly to Shanghai on October 4, 2026. Zhang appeared in court wearing designer workout gear.
“The complaint reveals a brazen plot by the Chinese government to conduct covert surveillance of a Taiwanese official’s relatives,” asserted FBI assistant director Roman Rozhavsky. “Zhang’s arrest highlights China’s authoritarian lengths to pursue its objectives.”
The Taiwanese president condemns “brutal acts of suppression,” thanking U.S. authorities for aiding their nationals. “Taiwan will continue partnering with democratic allies to combat unlawful cross-border oppression,” stated a spokesperson. The Chinese Foreign Ministry denied requests for commentary.