China cries foul after college researcher’s fatal fall — claims US questioning, feds stay tight-lipped
Chinese government officials are alleging that a University of Michigan researcher was questioned by U.S. law enforcement shortly before his death on campus last month — a claim U.S. authorities have not confirmed.
Danhao Wang, a research assistant in electrical and computer engineering, died in March after an incident inside the George G. Brown Building, according to the university.
The University of Michigan Police Department said officers responded around 11 p.m. on March 19 to a report of a person who fell inside the building. An assistant research scientist was found after falling from an upper level and was later pronounced dead.
Police said the case is being investigated as a possible act of self-harm and that there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the campus community.
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Chinese officials, however, have publicly raised concerns about the circumstances leading up to Wang’s death.
In a statement issued March 30, the Chinese Consulate in Chicago said a Chinese scholar died "the day after being questioned by U.S. law enforcement personnel," adding that officials, acting under instructions from Beijing, had protested multiple times to U.S. government agencies and the university.
The consulate said it had contacted the scholar’s family "at the earliest opportunity" and was assisting them, while accusing the United States of "overstretching" national security concerns to "groundlessly interrogate and harass Chinese students and scholars."
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It also warned of a "serious chilling effect" and advised Chinese nationals in the U.S. to exercise caution in interactions with law enforcement and contact Chinese diplomatic missions if they encounter similar situations.
The consulate did not identify the individual.
During a March 27 press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China had protested the case and accused the United States of "groundlessly interrogat[ing] and harass[ing] Chinese scholars and students," calling for a full investigation.
U.S. officials have not confirmed that any such questioning took place.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the FBI’s Detroit field office declined to say whether it had any contact with Wang.
"As a matter of longstanding policy, the FBI neither confirms nor denies the existence of any investigation or investigative activity involving specific individuals," the bureau said.
University of Michigan police told Fox News Digital they would not be releasing additional information beyond their public statement, citing the ongoing investigation.
The allegations were first reported by Michigan Advance, which said federal agencies declined to comment on whether Wang had been questioned prior to his death.
Wang’s death remains under investigation, and an autopsy report has been requested.
In a message to the university community, Engineering Dean Karen Thole described Wang as a "promising and brilliant young mind," noting his research into advanced semiconductor materials had been published in "Nature."
The case comes amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese nationals at U.S. universities. As previously reported by Michigan Advance, federal authorities have brought charges in recent months against individuals with ties to the University of Michigan accused of attempting to smuggle biological materials into the United States.