Southern California campaign manager, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, was arrested by the FBI and charged with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government to influence U.S. politics. Sun allegedly worked with John Chen to get a city council member elected with Chinese government support. Allegations state that Sun and Chen communicated about the efforts and proposed an $80,000 budget to help. U.S. policy supports Taiwan against Chinese aggression, and tensions have escalated following recent events in Taiwan.
Chen was previously sentenced to prison for acting as an unregistered agent for China. Allegations against Sun include his involvement in supporting the Chinese government in influencing U.S. politicians. He was instructed by Chen to elevate the status of the California politician in China by associating with mainstream U.S. politicians. The affidavit shows Chen threatened pro-Taiwan protesters in Los Angeles and boasted about fighting against Taiwanese independence.
Southern California has seen Chinese-Taiwanese tensions, with past incidents involving hate crimes against the Taiwanese community. The U.S. Department of Defense has reported Chinese efforts to expand its nuclear capabilities. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission has warned of China’s increasing military presence around Taiwan, highlighting the growing conflict between the two nations. Prosecutors are cracking down on individuals acting as agents for foreign powers to influence U.S. politics, emphasizing the need to protect the integrity of American governance.
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