Spy Town: Arcadia’s Former Mayor and the Shadow of Chinese Espionage

I’ve lived in Arcadia since 1967, served as a former City Commissioner, and spent almost 40 years in law enforcement, retiring as a Sergeant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. I care deeply about this community. That’s why the story of our former Mayor Eileen Wang is so troubling.

Burton Brink

In May 2026, Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang abruptly resigned on the same day a federal plea agreement was unsealed admitting she had acted as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China. According to Los Angeles magazine, Wang had been working as an operative for the Chinese government, pushing propaganda through a community news website without registering as a foreign agent. Her actions made national headlines and left many long-time Arcadians shocked.

 

Wang, who immigrated from Chengdu, China, in 1995, had become a rising star in local Democratic circles. With the help of her then-fiancé Mike Sun (a former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army), she was elected to the Arcadia City Council in 2022. Sun reportedly served as her campaign advisor and was deeply involved in her political rise. Just months before the scandal broke, she had been sworn in as Mayor as part of the city’s rotating leadership system.

 

The article details how Wang and Sun allegedly used their influence to promote pro-Beijing narratives while spying on Chinese dissidents and engaging in other covert activities. Federal prosecutors described her work as part of a larger pattern of Chinese government influence operations in the San Gabriel Valley — the affluent area often called the “Chinese Beverly Hills.

”Wang is quoted in the piece saying, “As Americans, and especially as elected officials, our loyalty must always be clear — to this country, to our Constitution, to our residents, and to no one else.” Those words now carry heavy irony in light of her guilty plea.

 

The scandal is part of a broader pattern. The magazine also references other Chinese intelligence activities in California, including cases involving money laundering, fentanyl networks, and influence operations targeting elected officials and the Chinese diaspora.

 

This is not just a story about one person. It raises serious questions about foreign influence in our local governments, the vetting of candidates, and the need for stronger safeguards to protect American sovereignty and our community’s trust.

 

As residents, we deserve elected leaders whose loyalty is first and foremost to Arcadia and the United States — not to any foreign government. Transparency, integrity, and accountability must be non-negotiable.

 

I will continue to follow this story and share facts as more information becomes available. Our city is stronger when we face these issues honestly and demand better from those who seek to lead us.

 

Let’s stay informed and engaged — our families and community depend on it.

 

Burton Brink

#ArcadiaCA #PublicTrust #AmericaFirst