Eileen Wang, who resigned Monday as the mayor of Arcadia, Calif., published propaganda on a purported news site under direction from Chinese officials, prosecutors said.
Thélyson Orélien, a Haitian-born, previously unknown writer, submitted an unsolicited manuscript. Its rights were sold in 23 countries before publication.
President Emmanuel Macron has appointed a string of allies who will remain in critical state positions after next year’s presidential election, and who could thwart a far-right successor.
For decades, many Chinese viewed the United States with a mix of admiration, envy and resentment. President Trump’s volatile second term shattered that image.
Beijing has called Taiwan the “core of China’s core interests.” Xi Jinping is likely to focus on getting President Trump to slow approval of more weapons for the self-governing island.