A political operative for China who was a chief adviser to Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang received a four-year prison sentence Monday.
Yaoning Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, pleaded guilty Oct. 3 to one federal count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign power.
“Beginning in at least 2022, and continuing through at least January 2024 … defendant knowingly acted in the United States as an agent of a foreign government, namely, the People’s Republic of China, and officials of that government, without prior notification to the Attorney General of the United States, as required by law,” according to Sun’s plea agreement filed in Los Angeles federal court.
Sun, who also uses the first name Mike, worked as the treasurer for Wang, who federal prosecutors refer to only as an unnamed Southern California politician running for city council of a city in Los Angeles County. The candidate was elected in November 2022, according to court documents, coinciding with Wang’s victorious campaign.
“The investigation naturally raises concerns and questions about the extent of Sun’s involvement locally and throughout the region,” Arcadia City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto said in a statement Dec. 23. “At this time, Sun’s involvement is considered an isolated incident, with no known association with other members of the Arcadia City Council. Importantly, we can confirm that Sun had no involvement whatsoever with city of Arcadia business or decision-making.”
On Feb. 3 Wang was sworn in as mayor, a mostly honorary title that rotates among council members every nine months. She did not mention Sun’s conviction during remarks that followed her mayoral oath of office but did assert the importance of clear allegiances.
“When I speak about loving this country, when I speak about loyalty, it is not just words. It is personal,” Wang said after the swearing-in. “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. I firmly oppose any attempts by any foreign governments to influence or interfere with our public institutions or local decisions. Arcadia’s future must be decided by Arcadia residents.”
Outgoing Mayor Sharon Kwan told HeySoCal.com she was “deeply unsettled” by the “tone of unquestioning praise and enthusiasm” for the new mayor from people in attendance at the Feb. 3 City Council meeting, including council members David Fu, Dr. Michael Cao and newly sworn-in Mayor Pro Tem Paul Cheng. At the public meeting, however, Kwan echoed the positivity.
“What is said has been said, I echo their words,” Kwan remarked Feb. 3.
In a statement Monday to HeySoCal.com, she said, “As I was stepping down as Mayor of Arcadia, I witnessed the swearing-in of my successor. After the incoming mayor delivered her address, the room immediately rose in a standing ovation. What followed made me profoundly uncomfortable: three sitting councilmembers then delivered extremely glowing, almost celebratory speeches, reinforcing that ovation.
“I was not simply surprised — I was deeply unsettled. I sat there in shock, struggling to process what I was witnessing,” Kwan said. “At that time, it was already publicly known that an individual publicly linked to the campaign was facing federal sentencing for acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China. Knowing that, the tone of unquestioning praise and enthusiasm felt deeply inappropriate and alarming.
“When my turn came to speak, I felt intense pressure in the room — pressure not to appear disrespectful, pressure not to stand alone, and pressure to mirror sentiments that I did not feel,” Kwan continued. “I said I ‘echoed’ the prior remarks, but I did so while internally questioning whether I was the only person disturbed by what was unfolding in front of us.
“I am not accusing any elected official of criminal conduct. But what I witnessed left me genuinely shaken. It raised a serious and unavoidable question: Why was there no hesitation, no acknowledgment of concern, no reassurance to the public at a moment when caution and transparency should have mattered most?
“If raising concerns about foreign influence makes someone feel isolated or silenced, that alone should concern every resident,” Kwan observed. “This is not about race or politics. It is about judgment, accountability, and loyalty to democratic values. What I saw that night did not feel normal — and it should not be dismissed as such.”
Wang and other council members did not respond to requests for comment on Sun’s sentencing.
Assistant City Manager Justine Bruno said “the city does not have a comment on this matter.”
Without directly mentioning the Sun case, Cheng cautioned against possible “fear, uncertainty and doubt” about Arcadia’s government and noted the importance of being “kind” in political discourse.
“There are people that will feed into your fear, uncertainty and doubt of this great city of Arcadia,” Cheng said after being sworn in as mayor pro tem. “Those that feed the fear, uncertainty and doubt, what is their solution? Chaos — I’ve realized that being on council, that those that seek power do so through chaos, through anger, through fear, uncertainty and doubt. They tell you that the person that is next to you is evil, that those that are different than you are evil.
“But at the end of the day, we all seek the same things,” Cheng said. “We want a safe community.”
Fu praised Wang’s “dedication” and “selflessness,” noting her frequent attendance at community events and commitment to serving her constituents.
Cao said Wang is a “team leader” and “coalition builder.”
Sun was accused of conspiring with John Chen, also known as Chen Jun, who was sentenced to federal prison in 2024 for acting as an illegal agent of China and plotting to target people in the United States affiliated with Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China, according to federal prosecutors.
Sun acknowledged in his plea agreement that at the direction and control of Chinese government officials, he coordinated with individuals in the U.S. to advance the interests of the People’s Republic of China by promoting pro-Beijing propaganda and working against “Chinese secessionist forces.”
Federal prosecutors said that in February 2023, Sun wrote a report for China officials to solicit additional money for his activities in Southern California. The report summarized his personal experience, including past service in the People’s Liberation Army.
In the report, according to Sun’s plea agreement, he acknowledged working in the United States to lead “delegations of U.S. dignitaries and cultural workers to China” and, during the 2022 midterm elections, helped the candidate now identified as Wang get elected to represent Arcadia’s 3rd Council District. In the report, Sun called the candidate a “new political star,” according to prosecutors.
During the city council campaign, Sun communicated with Chen about Wang’s run for office. Chen discussed with Chinese government officials how he could “influence” municipal-level politicians in the U.S., particularly on the issue of Taiwan, according to court documents.
Shortly after Wang’s election win in November 2022, Chen instructed Sun to write a report on the election that was sent to PRC officials, who responded positively and were thankful, prosecutors reported.
Chen also sent a message to Wang stating that the she was “doing a good job, I hope you can continue the good work, make Chinese people proud,” court documents show.
About a month after the election, Chen arranged a lunch at a Rowland Heights restaurant with Sun and others, a gathering that Chen described to a China officials as a “core member lunch,” prosecutors reported. Chen later described the lunch as “successful,” with attendees agreeing to establish a “U.S.-China Friendship Promotional Association.”
“This case highlights the breadth of the PRC’s relentless intelligence and malign influence activities targeting the United States,” according to a statement from Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles bureau, when charges were brought against Sun.
The maximum sentence Sun faced was 10 years, a three-year period of supervised release and a fine of at least $250,000.
The Feb. 3 City Council meeting is available on the city’s website.