Taiwan's president is gaining public support even as a Chinese surveillance case targeting his son rattles the island — mildly good news for Lai Ching-te, bad news for Beijing's image in Taiwan.

• A new poll puts Lai's approval near 48%, up from last month, with a similar share saying they trust him.
• The FBI arrested a California real estate agent at Los Angeles airport as she tried to fly to Shanghai, accusing her of photographing the home, family and car plates of Lai's eldest son for Chinese officials.
• She faces up to 10 years in prison for acting as an unregistered agent of Beijing; Taiwan's government condemned the case as proof China's pressure tactics now reach overseas.
• China's foreign ministry said it knows nothing about the surveillance and dismissed the reports as smears.
• Washington is separately moving to strip citizenship from 40 naturalized Americans, including two Chinese men tied to spying for Beijing.

Outlook: With Taiwan's local elections under two months away and a cash-filled vote-buying scandal now hitting the ruling party in Yunlin, the China-threat issue and corruption charges will both shape the campaign.