The German ambassador to China, Jan Hecker, died a few days after taking office in Beijing
: the foreign ministry in Berlin announced it overnight, without specifying the circumstances.
"It is with deep sadness and dismay that we learned of the sudden death of the German ambassador to China. Our thoughts right now are with his family and those close to him," reads a note posted on the website of the ministry.
Hecker, 54, arrived in Beijing in August after serving as Chancellor Angela Merkel's foreign policy adviser.
Last week, Hecker, along with other EU heads of mission in China, had participated in a meeting at the European representation as a sign of solidarity with the Lithuanian colleague Diana Mickeviciene, forced to leave the embassy in Beijing due to the tough diplomatic clash between the two countries on the opening in Vilnius of a commercial representation in Taipei, using the name of Taiwan.
The German embassy has had its flags at half mast this morning as a sign of mourning. Hecker, in the position of 14 / th ambassador to China since 24 August, the day of delivery of the letters of credentials, was director of the Department for Foreign Policy, Security and Development Policy and was Merkel's foreign policy advisor. since 2017, according to what was published by the same diplomatic office on its official account on Weibo.
"Jan Hecker's death shocked me deeply," Chancellor Angela Merkel said
, who expressed in a note great sorrow "for the loss of a long-time consultant, extremely appreciated and with exceptional skills". "I think with great gratitude of our collaboration and I am happy to have been able to be so closely linked to him for years - he added - My deepest condolences go to his wife, children and relatives, whose pain is immeasurable". Hecker had worked alongside Merkel for years as a consultant, and died suddenly in Beijing, where he had recently taken office as a German ambassador.
At the start of his new role, Hecker said his goals for the mission to China were to "contribute to the stable and long-term development of Germany-China relations through our work", further strengthening "dialogue and partnership" . Just Friday, Hecker had hosted an event on the German artist Joseph Beuys.
