Former German spy chief had contacts with Chinese official, Spiegel reports

Germany's former spy ​chief August Hanning, who has ​been placed under ‌arrest for ​suspected espionage, had longstanding contacts to a former senior Chinese general, Spiegel magazine ‌reported. The magazine said Hanning, who left Germany's foreign intelligence service in 2005, had travelled to China several times, where he knew ‌a former official who had served in China's embassy in ‌formerly communist East Germany.

It said the former major general, whom it identified as Wang Jianzheng, was an established expert in German-related issues and ⁠had ​translated a ⁠number of German books into Chinese. Hanning was detained this week on ⁠suspicion of sharing information from confidential documents provided by his former chief ​of staff with foreign intelligence agents. The alleged activities took ⁠place after his retirement, when he worked as an independent security ⁠consultant.

Prosecutors ​have not commented on what material they believe may have been shared or who it may have been ⁠shared with. Hanning's lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment, ⁠but ⁠in a statement to Spiegel ]denied his client had damaged German interests and said he was ‌being wrongfully prosecuted.