China cries foul after college researcher’s fatal fall — claims US questioning, feds stay tight-lipped

Chinese authorities officials are alleging that a University of Michigan researcher was questioned by U.S. instrumentality enforcement soon earlier his decease connected field past period — a assertion U.S. authorities person not confirmed.

Danhao Wang, a probe adjunct successful electrical and machine engineering, died successful March aft an incidental wrong the George G. Brown Building, according to the university.

The University of Michigan Police Department said officers responded astir 11 p.m. connected March 19 to a study of a idiosyncratic who fell wrong the building. An adjunct probe idiosyncratic was recovered aft falling from an precocious level and was aboriginal pronounced dead.

Police said the lawsuit is being investigated arsenic a imaginable enactment of self-harm and that determination is nary denotation of an ongoing menace to the field community.

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University of Michigan graduates permission the cardinal passageway astatine the William W. Cook Law Quadrangle connected Tuesday, May 20, 2025, aft having their graduation pictures taken successful the archway successful Ann Arbor. (Detroit Free Press)

Chinese officials, however, person publically raised concerns astir the circumstances starring up to Wang’s death.

In a connection issued March 30, the Chinese Consulate successful Chicago said a Chinese student died "the time aft being questioned by U.S. instrumentality enforcement personnel," adding that officials, acting nether instructions from Beijing, had protested aggregate times to U.S. authorities agencies and the university.

The consulate said it had contacted the scholar’s household "at the earliest opportunity" and was assisting them, portion accusing the United States of "overstretching" nationalist information concerns to "groundlessly interrogate and harass Chinese students and scholars."

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It besides warned of a "serious chilling effect" and advised Chinese nationals successful the U.S. to workout caution successful interactions with instrumentality enforcement and interaction Chinese diplomatic missions if they brushwood akin situations.

The consulate did not place the individual.

During a March 27 property briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China had protested the lawsuit and accused the United States of "groundlessly interrogat[ing] and harass[ing] Chinese scholars and students," calling for a afloat investigation.

U.S. officials person not confirmed that immoderate specified questioning took place.

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In a connection to Fox News Digital, the FBI’s Detroit tract bureau declined to accidental whether it had immoderate interaction with Wang.

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"As a substance of longstanding policy, the FBI neither confirms nor denies the beingness of immoderate probe oregon investigative enactment involving circumstantial individuals," the bureau said.

University of Michigan constabulary told Fox News Digital they would not beryllium releasing further accusation beyond their nationalist statement, citing the ongoing investigation.

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The researcher died astatine the University of Michigan. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

The allegations were archetypal reported by Michigan Advance, which said national agencies declined to remark connected whether Wang had been questioned anterior to his death.

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Wang’s decease remains nether investigation, and an autopsy study has been requested.

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In a connection to the assemblage community, Engineering Dean Karen Thole described Wang arsenic a "promising and superb young mind," noting his probe into precocious semiconductor materials had been published successful "Nature."

The lawsuit comes amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese nationals astatine U.S. universities. As antecedently reported by Michigan Advance, national authorities person brought charges successful caller months against individuals with ties to the University of Michigan accused of attempting to smuggle biologic materials into the United States.