On October 14th, the California Chinese woman, Zhang Wanying, who is suspected of acting as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party, had her bail request rejected by a federal district judge. This decision came after a previous ruling by a judge that she should not be granted bail due to the risk of her fleeing the United States, evading judicial sanctions, and engaging in dishonest behavior during the legal process.
Zhang Wanying, a 34-year-old real estate broker from Orange County, California, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on October 4th. She is facing charges of illegally acting as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party and allegedly tasked with monitoring the son of Taiwan’s President, Lai Ching-te. At the time of her arrest, she was in possession of a one-way ticket preparing to fly to Shanghai.
During the hearing on the 7th, Federal Magistrate Judge Steve Kim considered her flight risk and ruled against granting bail. Prosecutors referred to Zhang Wanying as a “secret agent” and accused her of engaging in “spy activities” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
Following this ruling, Zhang Wanying’s team submitted a request for a detention reconsideration hearing to the federal district judge, Serena R. Murillo, who also denied her bail application.
Prior to the Wednesday hearing, prosecutors had filed a sealed document with the court opposing the revocation of Zhang Wanying’s original detention order.
Federal Assistant Prosecutor Colin Scott pointed out during the hearing that this case is not ordinary, not only because of the actions Zhang Wanying is accused of but also due to the involvement of resources and power from a specific country. It was officials from the Chinese Ministry of State Security who assigned her to conduct surveillance work in the United States.
Scott further stated that espionage activities are often built on deception. The prosecution alleged that Zhang Wanying is an active agent of the Chinese intelligence agency. She received orders from Chinese intelligence officials and, alongside her companion “Individual 1,” traveled to Seattle to monitor a close family member of a senior Taiwanese government official and report on the surveillance findings.
This companion is not Zhang Wanying’s husband. Scott revealed that this person is described as her “intimate partner.”
Moreover, Zhang Wanying had transferred $190,000 to her bank account in China through an “unregistered cryptocurrency exchange,” and she reportedly has “hundreds of thousands” of dollars at her disposal in China.
“She also invested in a nightclub in China,” Scott said, noting that due to the prosecution’s inability to directly access complete data from Chinese banks, they are unsure about her other assets in China.
Additionally, he mentioned that at least some allegations suggest that her intimate partner possesses substantial assets, with the specific amount being either $100 million or 100 million Chinese yuan, signifying that she (in China) has plenty of economic resources.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Zhang Wanying’s private defense attorney, Craig Harbaugh, refuted the prosecution’s various allegations in court.
Harbaugh emphasized that Zhang is an American citizen who has been living in the United States since 2014, owning considerable real estate assets and being a mother of two. He also pointed out that the espionage activities she is accused of can be traced back to September 2025. According to the criminal complaint, her last contact with Chinese officials was in October 2025.
Harbaugh mentioned that over the past year, Zhang Wanying has traveled to China multiple times, returning to the United States each time, and the prosecution has not provided evidence of her posing a danger to the community.
He informed the judge that Zhang Wanying is willing to put up a property valued at over $1 million as collateral and, if necessary, offer other properties owned by her family members as additional collateral. She also proposed four guarantors, including her husband, father-in-law, sister-in-law, and supervisor.
“We are even willing to accept wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet, home detention, and electronic monitoring,” Harbaugh said, noting that the FBI has confiscated her passport, limiting her movements and eliminating any potential escape issues.
The prosecution argued that the defense counsel’s arguments were not sufficient to revoke the detention order. Scott told the judge that an electronic bracelet and home detention were far from enough to eliminate the flight risk. Even in previous ordinary cases, defendants have been known to cut off electronic monitoring bracelets and escape without a trace.
“The particularity of this case lies in the fact that Zhang Wanying is said to have the active support of the country she serves,” Scott said. The Chinese government could easily obtain a new passport for her, arrange a special flight, and assist her in leaving the United States. Since there is no extradition treaty between China and the United States, if she were to flee to China, it might be challenging for the U.S. to bring her back for trial.
Scott alleged that Zhang Wanying has been leading a “double life,” with even her family being unaware of her actions; not even those closest to her knew she was an active intelligence agent for the Chinese Communist Party, but now this evidence has come to light.
Investigations by internet users into Zhang Wanying’s background revealed that she, like former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and female spy Fang Fang, graduated from the Beijing “International Relations Institute,” known as a “spy cradle.”
According to the indictment, Zhang Wanying and “Chinese Government Official 1” both graduated from the Public Administration School of the International Relations Institute in 2014. After graduation, the two continued to communicate through electronic messages, occasionally meeting up. Their WeChat conversations involved discussions about children, investments, comparing American and Chinese differences, and monitoring a senior Taiwanese government official and their family in Seattle, Washington.
Prosecutors had previously alleged that Zhang Wanying’s parents and siblings reside in China and that one of her brothers had worked for the Chinese government. “Individual 1” in the indictment had recently bought a one-way ticket back to China.
Furthermore, the prosecution accused Zhang Wanying of falsely declaring her assets when filling out asset disclosure forms after her arrest, claiming only one property under her name when she actually owns multiple properties. This deception reflects her tendency to lie to the court when it suits her interests.
After hearing both sides’ statements, the judge expressed the intent to make a ruling to reject Zhang Wanying’s request and continue her detention until the next hearing.
Following the conclusion of the court session, Zhang Wanying was taken away by court officers. Her husband Edric Ding and two other family members were present in court that day. The case is still in the prosecution stage, and if convicted in the future, Zhang Wanying could face up to 10 years in prison. ◇