اعتقال أمريكية بتهمة التجسس على نجل رئيس تايوان لحساب الصين

The U.S. authorities announced the arrest of a woman from California, suspected of working for Chinese officials and monitoring the son of the President of Taiwan, in a case that Taipei describes as a model of what it calls "transnational repression."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that its agents arrested Waning Chang, also known as Heather, a 34-year-old, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, just before her scheduled departure to China.

Authorities charged Chang, who resides in Irvine, California, with acting as an unregistered foreign agent, according to a statement from the FBI.

Allegations of Monitoring the Son of the Taiwanese President

According to U.S. authorities, Chang monitored one of the sons of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and sent information and video materials related to him and his family to Chinese officials.

The FBI initially did not directly name the targeted individual, before later referring to a report published by the New York Post that identified him as Lai Ting-yu, a resident of the United States.

The U.S. Department of Justice stated that Chang traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials, where she is believed to have collected photos, videos, and information about the license plates of the Taiwanese president's son and family members, which she then sent to entities linked to China.

Authorities added that Chang used methods aimed at avoiding detection of her activities and did not inform the U.S. government that she was working for a foreign government.

Bill Esley, the U.S. Attorney's First Assistant in the Central District of California, stated that the accused used what he described as "professional methods" to evade detection of her activities.

Taiwan Condemns the Incident

For its part, the Taiwanese presidency condemned what it described as "transnational repression," expressing gratitude to the U.S. government for protecting Taiwanese citizens.

The spokesperson for the Taiwanese presidency, Karen Kou, stated in a statement that her country "strongly condemns this barbaric behavior that disregards human rights and the sovereignty of nations."

Ongoing Tensions Between Beijing and Taipei

This case comes amid ongoing tensions between Beijing and Taipei, as Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and his Democratic Progressive Party emphasize Taiwan's separate political identity, a stance that angers the Chinese government, which considers the island part of its territory.

Lai believes that Taiwan's future should be determined by its people, while Beijing continues to assert its sovereignty over the island.

Chang is scheduled to appear before a federal court in Los Angeles, and it was not immediately clear whether she had obtained legal representation.

The case gains additional significance amid the U.S. role in supporting Taiwan, despite the lack of official diplomatic relations between Washington and Taipei. The United States is the foremost international supporter of Taiwan and one of its most important arms suppliers.

The case again highlights the rising concerns of the U.S. and Taiwan regarding Beijing's attempts to pursue or monitor opponents or figures linked to Taiwan outside Chinese territory, at a time when relations between the United States, China, and Taiwan are experiencing increasing tensions.