HONG KONG – China is asking US authorities to investigate the death of a scientist who was found inside a university building in Michigan.
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The Chinese assistant research scientist was discovered after falling from a great height in the University of Michigan’s George G. Brown Building, the university said in a statement. Officers responded to a report on March 19 at approximately 11 p.m. ET.
The university said the incident was being investigated as a “possible act of self-harm”.
“We are not able to provide additional details at this time,” the statement said.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the United States, told NBC News on Thursday that officials were “deeply distressed by this tragedy.”
“The Chinese side has repeatedly lodged serious representations with relevant US government agencies and universities regarding this matter,” Liu said. He said officers “immediately established contact with the victim’s family” to provide assistance.
He also urged Chinese students in the US to “raise their security awareness” and “handle US law enforcement actions appropriately.”
Neither the university nor Chinese officials have publicly identified the researcher, but the South China Morning Post newspaper in Hong Kong reported that the person who died was Chinese semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao. The newspaper confirmed the identity, quoting a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington.
According to the university’s website, Wang worked as an assistant research scientist in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research interests included interdisciplinary electrical engineering.
On March 27, China’s Foreign Ministry suggested that the researcher may face pressure from law enforcement, saying that the US should stop “discriminatory law enforcement actions” that cause Chinese students and scholars to face “unreasonable interrogation” and “harassment”.
“China urges the US side to thoroughly investigate this matter,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. He said the US should give a “responsible explanation” to the victims’ families and China.
Those calls were reiterated on Wednesday, when Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said China would “continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens.”
It is unclear whether Chinese officials believe the alleged actions of law enforcement led to the deaths.
NBC News requested comment from the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Michigan State Police, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Experts say the incident has echoed in China, reinforcing the perception that Chinese students in the US could face scrutiny from authorities.
Ryan Haas, director of the John L. Thornton China Center, said, “This tragedy resonates in China because it reinforces a public perception that Chinese students in the US are often victims of harassment by law enforcement officials.”
Despite those concerns, Haas said the incident is unlikely to change Chinese President Xi Jinping’s efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and China.
He added, “I don’t expect this tragedy to change Xi’s encouragement of greater social connectivity as a buffer against geopolitical friction.”
In 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would “aggressively” cancel visas for Chinese students, including those affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical areas. President Donald Trump reversed course later that year, saying he would allow 600,000 Chinese students into the country.
There were more than 265,000 Chinese students in the US during the 2024/25 academic year, according to Open Doors, an information resource on international students studying or teaching in the country.
