Tag: City Councils

The Ex-Mayor of Arcadia, Her Boyfriend and the Chinese Government

Media Library

On the day she was sworn in as mayor, Eileen Wang spoke in soaring terms about her journey from a “small mountain village” in China to America, and specifically to Arcadia, a small city in Southern California. Then her speech took a sharp turn. “As Americans, and especially as elected officials, our loyalty must always be clear,” she said, “to this country, to our constitution, to our residents, and to no one else.” Three months later, in May, federal prosecutors announced that Ms. Wang, 56, had agreed to plead guilty…

Kiel-Qingdao Sister City Plan Stalled Amid German Wariness of China

Media Library

City officials in the northern German port of Kiel were flattered this year when the Chinese port of Qingdao — about 40 times its size — proposed partnering up as a sister city. They rushed to embrace the offer. The two cities had a history of cooperation dating to when the Germans helped their Chinese counterparts develop a sailing venue for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Both have substantial commercial ports, sprawling boardwalks and public beaches. It seemed a good match. Almost too good, in fact, for security experts, who noted…