Stories
US Lawmakers Push Bipartisan Bill Against China-Linked Transnational Repression
- •US lawmakers are urging Congress to pass the Transnational Repression Policy Act to counter foreign intimidation and surveillance on American soil.
- •The push follows the FBI arrest of California real estate agent Wanying Zhang, accused of acting as an unregistered Chinese agent.
- •Zhang allegedly conducted surveillance on Lai Ting-yu, the US-based son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, at the direction of Chinese officials.
- •The proposed legislation, introduced as S. 2525 and H.R. 4829, aims to strengthen protections against foreign government interference and agent activities.
Key Questions Answered
Introduced as S. 2525 and H.R. 4829, the Transnational Repression Policy Act is a bipartisan legislation backed by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China that seeks to strengthen legal protections against foreign governments and their agents from intimidating and surveilling individuals on American soil.
Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, a California-based real estate agent and naturalised US citizen, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on October 4 for allegedly acting as an unregistered Chinese agent and conducting surveillance on the son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
According to an FBI affidavit, Zhang and an accomplice travelled to Seattle in September 2025, waited outside the residence of Lai Ting-yu in a rented vehicle, photographed and filmed him and his family, and forwarded those details along with vehicle registration data to a Chinese official.
