
The former head of Germany's foreign intelligence service, August Hanning, has been arrested on suspicion of espionage. According to the German magazine Der Spiegel, he had years of contact with a former senior Chinese general.
Hanning, who headed Germany's foreign intelligence service until 2005, has traveled to China several times. During these visits, he had contact with a former official who had served at the Chinese embassy in East Germany when the country was still divided.
According to Der Spiegel, the person in question is Wang Jianzheng, a former major general known for his expertise on German-related issues. He has also translated several German books into Chinese.
Hanning was arrested this week on suspicion of sharing classified information with people linked to foreign intelligence services. According to the investigation, the information was allegedly given to him by his former chief of staff.
The alleged activities took place after Hanning left the Secret Service, while he was working as an independent security consultant. Prosecutors have not said what information was allegedly shared or to whom it may have been sent.
Hanning's lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, in a statement to Der Spiegel, he denied that his client had harmed Germany's interests and claimed that he was being prosecuted unfairly.
So far, authorities have not released any further details about the suspected materials or the people who may have received them.