The Global Story: The American mayor accused of working for China
5/24/202628 min
The mayor of the Californian city of Arcadia has agreed to plead guilty to charges she acted as an illegal agent for China. Prosecutors say Eileen Wang was directly co-ordinating with a Chinese official to disseminate news stories downplaying human rights concerns in China, with the aim of trying to influence US government and public opinion.
US authorities say the extent of China’s covert activity and espionage in the United States goes well beyond this case. According to the FBI, Chinese counterintelligence and espionage efforts are a “grave threat to the economic well-being and democratic values of the United States”.
We speak to Andrew Badger, former CIA case officer and co-author of The Great Heist: China's Epic Campaign to Steal America's Secrets.
The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts
Producer: Viv Jones and Lucy Pawle Executive producer: James Shield Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins
(Photo: Eileen Wang. Credit: City of Arcadia City Hall/ Reuters)
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. [digital jingle] Decisions made in Washington can affect your portfolio every day, but what policy changes should investors be watching? WashingtonWise is an original podcast from Charles Schwab that unpacks the stories making news in Washington right now, and how they may affect your finances and portfolio. Listen at schwab.com/washingtonwise. That's schwab.com/washingtonwise.
Speaker 10:33
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Asma Khalid· Host1:03
[digital jingle] Hey there, I'm Asma Khalid.
Tristan Redmond· Host1:07
And I'm Tristan Redmond, and we're here with a bonus episode for you from The Global Story podcast.
Asma Khalid· Host1:13
The world order is shifting. Old alliances are fraying, and new ones are emerging. Some of this turbulence can be traced to decisions made in the United States, but the US isn't just a cause of the upheaval. Its politics are also a symptom of it.
Tristan Redmond· Host1:29
Every