China urges thorough investigation into postdoctoral researcher's suicide after U.S. interrogation

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday urged the United States to thoroughly investigate the incident concerning a Chinese postdoctoral researcher who committed suicide a day after being interrogated by U.S. law enforcement authorities.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident and has lodged stern representations with the United States. Upon learning the news of the incident, the competent Chinese diplomatic missions in the U.S. immediately contacted the family of the individual concerned and provided assistance in handling the relevant matters. For quite some time, the U.S. has overstretched the concept of national security to carry out political manipulation and interrogate and harass Chinese students and scholars, which violates the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals, harms the atmosphere for normal people-to-people exchanges between China and the U.S., and creates a severe chilling effect," said Lin Jian, the spokesman, at a regular press conference in Beijing.

"China urges the U.S. side to thoroughly investigate the incident, give a responsible explanation to the victim's family and China, stop discriminatory law enforcement targeting Chinese scholars and students in the U.S., and stop fabricating wrong convictions and false cases. China will continue to do what is necessary to firmly protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese nationals," said the spokesman.

China urges thorough investigation into postdoctoral researcher's suicide after U.S. interrogation

As temperatures rise across northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, marigolds are bursting into bloom, bringing bright pops of color and spring vitality to the colder northeast China region where a lingering winter landscape has remained dominant so far in the spring season.

In Hailin City, time-lapse footage captured the cold-hardy flowers emerging among shrubs on hillsides. Standing just five to 15 centimeters tall, the plants slowly unfurled their golden-yellow petals amid patches of remaining snow and dried leaves.

It is one of the earliest blooming herbaceous plants in the colder regions of northeast China, and is often called "the first flower to herald spring in the northeast." The flowering period of marigolds lasts from mid-to-late March through early April.

"In springtime in the north, especially in Harbin, there are very few flowers in bloom right now. You usually only see flowers in greenhouses. It's still quite cold this season, yet the marigold has already emerged. It has that same kind of resilience as plum blossoms," said Di Keying, a student at the Northeast Forestry University.

Marigold flowers add spring vitality to colder northeast China region