German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that she was deeply shocked by the death of Germany’s new ambassador to China, Jan Hecker, who had previously been her foreign policy advisor.
The Foreign Ministry did not divulge the circumstances behind the death of the 54-year-old diplomat, who only took up his job in Beijing last month.
“I mourn the loss of my advisor of many years, whom I respect greatly, and who had a deep humanity and outstanding expertise,’’ Merkel said.
Announcing the death earlier, the Foreign Ministry said: “At this moment, our thoughts are with his family and the people who were close to him.’’
His deputy, Frank Rueckert, would take over his duties.
A native of the northern port city of Kiel, Hecker trained as a lawyer and had worked as an attorney and a judge.
He was married and had three children.
Hecker was a university lecturer before becoming a foreign policy advisor to Merkel, ahead of his appointment as ambassador.
