Chinese embassy in US confirms death of semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao

Chinese semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao died at the University of Michigan last month, shortly after being questioned by US federal law enforcement. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China’s embassy in Washington, confirmed to the South China Morning Post in an email on Monday that Wang had taken his own life. “We are deeply distressed by this tragedy,” Liu wrote, adding that the US had “overstretched” the concept of national security and subjected Chinese students and scholars to unwarranted questioning and harassment. He called on the US government to conduct a thorough investigation, provide a responsible explanation to Wang’s family and the Chinese side, and end what he described as discriminatory law enforcement practices. Wang, a postdoctoral research scientist at the university’s College of Engineering since 2022, died after a fall inside the George G. Brown Building on campus late on March 19. University police responded to a report at around 11pm and later pronounced him dead, according to a public information officer with the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security. The police did not identify the deceased. The embassy had been in contact with Wang’s family in China to offer assistance, Liu added. He also urged Chinese students in the US to stay vigilant and contact Chinese diplomatic missions if they encountered issues with law enforcement. China’s foreign ministry first commented on the case on March 27, saying it was “deeply saddened” and had raised “solemn representations” with the US side. In a follow-up statement on March 30, China’s consulate in Chicago said the Chinese scholar died by suicide “the day after being questioned by US law enforcement”. In a collegewide email sent on April 1, Karen Thole, dean of the College of Engineering, also identified Wang as the victim. Thole described him as a “promising and brilliant young mind”, according to Michigan-based local news website MLive. “His loss is felt deeply … not only by those who knew him here at the University, but also everyone who understands his potential to have contributed to breakthroughs in science that would have positively impacted people around the world,” Thole wrote. Wang worked in the lab of Zetian Mi, the Pallab K. Bhattacharya Collegiate Professor of Engineering who specialises in semiconductors, nanomaterials and optoelectronics. The SCMP has reached out to Mi and Thole for comment. Wang’s LinkedIn page shows he earned his PhD from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei in June 2022, before moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan. His PhD work used a semiconductor material called AlGaN to build tiny structures for advanced light-detecting and electronic devices, and his thesis was among the top 30 that year. His Google Scholar profile shows Wang’s research has been cited more than 4,000 times. His recent work, highlighted by the University of Michigan in 2024 and 2025, shows how certain nitride semiconductors remain stable under extreme conditions, paving the way for more efficient, high-power electronics. “My research stands at the intersection of electrical engineering, material science, chemistry and photonics/optoelectronics,” Wang wrote on ResearchGate, a website where researchers share their work. He said his work focused on developing III-nitride semiconductor thin films and nanostructures for next-generation electronic and light-based devices. A report on March 31 by World Journal, one of the largest Chinese-language newspapers in North America, said Wang had planned to return to China after the semester ended in May to take up a university position, but was allegedly barred by US authorities from leaving the country. The report also cited claims that federal agents had surrounded the building while he was in the lab and intended to take him away for questioning. The SCMP has not been able to independently verify these claims. Scrutiny of Chinese-American scientists in the US began in the early 2010s, with high-profile cases such as hydrologist Sherry Chen, who was accused of spying for Beijing, and physicist Xiaoxing Xi, who was charged with sharing sensitive US company technology. Both scientists were later cleared of wrongdoing, while Chen received a payout of almost US$2 million for wrongful termination from the US government. In 2018, President Donald Trump formally launched the China Initiative, aimed at countering alleged economic espionage and technology transfers linked to China. Although many cases were dropped or collapsed in court, the programme damaged careers and left hundreds of researchers facing severe financial and professional hardship. The initiative was ended in 2022, following widespread criticism over racial profiling and its chilling effect on scientific collaboration. Recent cases have continued to raise concerns. In 2024, neuroscientist Jane Wu of Northwestern University died by suicide after her laboratory was shut down, even though she had been cleared in a federal investigation into her China ties, according to her family’s ongoing lawsuit against the university. Separately, Arizona State University professor Nongjian Tao died in 2020 after falling from a campus parking garage, with police later ruling it a suicide. A police report said he had been under significant work-related stress, and questions have lingered over whether scrutiny of his China ties may have played a role. If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, you can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline. You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.

Chinese embassy in US confirms death of semiconductor researcher Wang Danhao

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Scientist described by dean as a ‘promising and brilliant young mind’ took own life after questioning by US federal law enforcement

Scientist described by dean as a ‘promising and brilliant young mind’ took own life after questioning by US federal law enforcement