Racial backlash erupts online after California mayor admits to being an agent for China

The resignation of a California mayor who pleaded guilty to acting as a foreign agent for China has sparked backlash and reignited fears of anti-Asian discrimination.

LOS ANGELES — The resignation of a Southern California mayor who pleaded guilty to acting as a foreign agent for China has sparked backlash and reignited fears of anti-Asian discrimination.

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Earlier this week, Eileen Wang, 58, admitted to federal law enforcement that she “secretly served the interests of the Chinese government,” according to the FBI. She agreed to plead guilty to a single count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government and resigned as mayor of Arcadia, a predominantly Asian city in the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles.

Political figures including Bernadette Breslin, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said the indictment was another example of Chinese-led plans to weaken the United States from within.