Shortly after taking office: German ambassador to China is dead

Merkel’s former foreign policy advisor Jan Hecker took up his ambassadorial post in Beijing less than two weeks ago. The confidante of the Chancellor should ensure continuity in the difficult relationship with China. Now he’s dead.

Shortly after taking up his post in Beijing, the German ambassador to China, Jan Hecker, died unexpectedly. The Foreign Office announced. Before taking on the important diplomatic job in the Chinese capital, the 54-year-old worked as a foreign policy advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel. The circumstances of his death are still unclear.

“It was with deep sadness and consternation that we learned of the sudden death of the German ambassador to China, Prof. Dr. Jan Hecker,” said the statement from the Foreign Office. “At this moment, our thoughts are with his family and the people who were close to him.” Born in Kiel, he was married and has three children. He had only taken over the post in August.

Merkel: “It shakes me deeply”

Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her dismay at the surprising death of Hecker. “The death of Jan Hecker shakes me deeply,” she said in a statement. “I mourn the loss of a highly valued long-standing advisor with deep humanity and outstanding expertise. I am grateful to our cooperation and I am glad to have been so closely connected with him over the years,” said Merkel. She added, “My deepest condolences go to his wife, children and loved ones in their immeasurable pain.”

Economics Minister Peter Altmaier, who, as the former head of the Chancellery, had also worked closely with Hecker, called Hecker’s death on Twitter a tragedy and a great loss for everyone who knew him. “His sense of duty, human and professional competence and deep education were outstanding.”

Hecker accompanied Merkel on her travels

After arriving in Beijing, the top diplomat and his family first went through the quarantine that is usual in China due to the corona pandemic. Hecker then handed over his credentials in Beijing at the end of August and began regular work.

“What sad and shocking news,” said a senior official at the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the death of the new ambassador. A leading German company representative who had just met him said: “Tragic. He was such a smart and reserved man. A good listener.”

Before his posting to China, Hecker had been Head of the Foreign, Security and Development Policy Department at the Federal Chancellery since 2017, making him a close confidante of the Chancellor. He accompanied Merkel on her travels.

Political advancement thanks to refugee policy

The lawyer and political scientist worked as a judge at the Federal Administrative Court from 2011 to 2015, after having worked in the Federal Ministry of the Interior from 1999 to 2011. In 2015, Hecker became head of the then newly created refugee policy coordination team, and during the refugee crisis he was largely responsible for putting the promise made by the Chancellor “We can do it” into practice. With this, Hecker moved to the center of government policy on Merkel’s side.

He was the first foreign policy advisor to the Chancellor who had not gone through the classic diplomatic career – and was considered an outstanding foreign policy climber. After the general election and the end of Merkel’s chancellorship, according to observers, Hecker should ensure continuity in the difficult relationship with the emerging great power China. Representatives of the Chinese Foreign Ministry had expressly welcomed his appointment and pointed to his closeness to the Chancellor, who is taking a more cautious stance in the increasing tensions between Europe and China.

German diplomats in Beijing did not want to comment on the circumstances of death and only referred to the Foreign Office. Hecker’s previous representative, the envoy Frank Rückert, is now temporarily assuming the role of ambassador.