Chinese National Charged in California After Aiding Local Candidate, Prosecutors Say

U.S. officials on Thursday arrested a Chinese man prosecutors say was at the center of an effort to influence local politics in California, charging him with acting as an illegal foreign agent over his role in getting a politician elected to a City Council position in the Los Angeles area.

Prosecutors say Mike Sun, also identified as Yaoning Sun, 64, worked closely with another man, John Chen, who was sentenced in November to 20 months in prison for being an agent of China and bribery. The two discussed Mr. Sun’s effort to get the politician elected in 2022. Mr. Chen, who is identified in court documents as Jun Chen, asked Mr. Sun to prepare a report about the candidate that was sent to Chinese officials, according to a criminal complaint made public Thursday. The most recent draft of the report included a request for $80,000 from China to support pro-Beijing activities in the United States.

Mr. Sun is scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer. A phone number registered to Sun Yaoning was not in service.

Mr. Sun’s arrest and the sentencing in New York of Mr. Chen are part of an effort by federal prosecutors to curb attempts by China to influence local politicians in the United States. After setbacks in extending its influence in Washington, the Chinese government has turned to America’s cities and states, prosecutors say, hoping to nurture support for causes important to Beijing, such as curbing calls for autonomy for Taiwan, opposing any democracy movement in Hong Kong and combating the fiercely anti-Communist Falun Gong spiritual movement.

Officials say that the Chinese government is reaching into smaller local elections as a long-term investment: Successful local officials often seek higher office and can make introductions to more senior politicians.

The arrest of Mr. Sun in Southern California suggests an expanding scope of Chinese government efforts to influence American elections, following a Times investigation focusing on a New York man with a criminal backround, John Chan, who has close ties to the local Chinese consulate and worked to shape election outcomes at the city, state and congressional levels. To build those ties, the Chinese government can dangle money, access to its huge domestic market, even pandas.