German authorities are examining whether August Hanning, the former head of the Federal Intelligence Service, passed sensitive information to a Chinese general as part of ongoing investigations into suspected espionage and his possession of classified intelligence documents. They have yet to announce findings proving that he handed information to China or Azerbaijan.
The German magazine Der Spiegel reported that Hanning, who is being held in connection with the case, maintained close relations with Chinese General Wang Jian Zeng, whom it described as a specialist in German affairs within Chinese intelligence. The general previously served at the Chinese embassy in East Berlin between 1987 and 1990.
According to the magazine, German officials are investigating whether Hanning passed sensitive information to Wang. However, the publicly disclosed investigations have not so far confirmed that any information was handed over, and China has not officially commented on reports about the former German official’s relationship with the Chinese general.
Azerbaijani contacts and official denial of allegations
The latest information follows a report published by the magazine on Wednesday about possible contacts between Hanning and Azerbaijani intelligence agencies. The information broadened questions about which parties may have benefited from documents and information that the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service is suspected of obtaining. The German government declined to confirm or deny the reports concerning Azerbaijan.
During the government’s regular press conference, an official spokesperson declined to clarify whether the investigations included possible contacts between Hanning and Azerbaijani intelligence, and also declined to say whether Berlin had received an official protest from Baku over its being linked to the case. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, strongly denied the allegations.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that Azerbaijan’s Media and Broadcasting Council described information linking Hanning to the country’s intelligence agencies as “fabricated”, saying it was part of a campaign aimed at tarnishing Azerbaijan’s reputation. The Azerbaijani news agency reported that Baku had submitted a diplomatic protest to the German chancellor’s office and the German Foreign Ministry, objecting to reports linking it to the investigations.
The investigation and Hanning’s intelligence record
However, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry declined to confirm that the authorities had received the protest. The case is linked to investigations into Hanning, who headed Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service between 1998 and 2005. Authorities are examining suspicions that he obtained classified intelligence documents, as well as the possibility that sensitive information reached foreign parties.
The investigations attach importance to the contacts attributed to Hanning with General Wang, given the Chinese military official’s background and previous work in East Germany. At the same time, the German government continues to withhold details of the case, while Baku denies any connection to the allegations and Beijing has not announced an official position on them.
The nature of the information suspected of being leaked and the identities of the parties that may have obtained it remain under examination in the German investigations.
