After the surprising death of the German ambassador to China, Jan Hecker, according to Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD), nothing indicates a connection to his work.

"Due to the circumstances of his death, we have no evidence that Jan Hecker's death is in any way related to his official function as German ambassador in Beijing," Maas told the German Press Agency on Monday during a visit to the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs in Brandenburg / Havel.

"It was a big shock for all of us, and we were completely unprepared."

The new ambassador to China died unexpectedly shortly after taking up his post in Beijing. Before taking on the important diplomatic function in China's capital, 54-year-old Hecker was a close foreign policy advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). The cause of his death initially remained unclear.

"It is difficult for all of us to grasp what happened there and that a person is so suddenly torn from life with whom we recently sat down and worked on really big and important questions," said the Foreign Minister.

“Jan Hecker achieved a lot and never looked for the limelight.” He emphasized: “For everything else, the following applies: Even a diplomat and his family have a right to privacy and to mourn in peace.” Hecker, who was born in Kiel, was married and leaves three children.

Judge at the Federal Administrative Court

Hecker had only taken over the office of ambassador in August.

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," responded a senior official from the Chinese Foreign Ministry to the death of the new ambassador.

A leading German company representative who had just met with 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.

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 newly created coordinating staff for refugee policy, 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.

Hecker was considered an outstanding climber

He was the first foreign policy advisor to the Chancellor who had not gone through the classic diplomatic career, and he 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 growing tensions between Europe and China.

Hecker's previous representative, the envoy Frank Rückert, is now temporarily assuming the role of ambassador.