Former German Intelligence Official Arrested, Linked to Chinese General Allegedly Affiliated with General Staff

Dong Mingzhu’s “Spy Theory” Sparks Controversy: A Test of the CCP’s Xenophobic Frenzy. (AI-generated image)

[People News] As the United States intensifies its efforts to apprehend Chinese spies and unregistered agents operating within its borders, the German government has also made headlines by arresting a senior official suspected of 'treasonous espionage activities.' This official is 80-year-old August Hanning, the former head of the Federal Intelligence Service. The arrest of a retired intelligence figure after many years sends a powerful message.

According to a report by the German news magazine Der Spiegel on October 8, investigators in Germany are examining whether Hanning shared sensitive information with Wang Jianzheng, a former Chinese military official. Hanning has made multiple trips to China and has maintained a long-term relationship with Wang Jianzheng.

While this is described as an investigation, it is unlikely that the German government would have made such a high-profile arrest without solid evidence. Hanning served as the head of the Federal Intelligence Service from December 1998 to November 2005, and subsequently held the position of State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior from December 2005 to November 2009.

According to the German prosecution, Hanning left the intelligence community in 2005, and the leaking of information reportedly began in 2010, continuing at least until 2022. Hanning is said to have possessed 2,000 intelligence documents, 'many of which contained confidential information intended solely for internal use by the Federal Intelligence Service, particularly for high-level intelligence briefings.' Hanning's lawyer has currently denied the allegations.

So, what is the background of Wang Jianzheng? Did he truly acquire internal information from Hanning regarding the German intelligence community?

Official data from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) indicates that Wang Jianzheng was born in Shanghai in 1954. In 1969, he participated in the 'Down to the Countryside Movement' in Heilongjiang, and in 1972, he enlisted in the army. Subsequently, he was sent to study German in the Department of Western Languages at Peking University, graduating in 1980. That autumn, he returned to the grassroots engineering corps, specifically the 62nd Brigade, where he served as a propaganda officer.

In the spring of 1981, Wang Jianzheng was transferred to the Intelligence Department of the General Staff Department of the CCP, likely entering the Second Department of the General Staff due to his valuable proficiency in German, as fluent German speakers were rare at that time.

The current intelligence system of the CCP is primarily divided into two major components: the Ministry of State Security and the military-affiliated intelligence system, each with distinct roles and areas of focus. The military intelligence system consists of three main parts: the Second Department of the General Staff (commonly referred to as the General Staff Intelligence Department), the Third Department, and the Liaison Department under the General Political Department. Additionally, each military region has its own intelligence departments. The General Staff is more likely to access the CCP's 'core secrets.'

After undergoing nearly a year of training in the General Staff Intelligence Department, and perhaps to enhance his public image, Wang Jianzheng began working at the Ministry of National Defense of the CCP in 1981, although his ties to the General Staff likely continued. In December 1987, he was assigned to the CCP embassy in East Germany as an assistant military attaché. Typically, military attachés stationed abroad are responsible for gathering military intelligence from the host country.

From 1987 to 2013, Wang Jianzheng spent 23 of the 26 years living in Europe, where he served in the military attaché offices of the embassies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. He held the position of military attaché in Germany from August 2009 until 2013, achieving the rank of Major General. During this time, he witnessed the reunification of Germany and the relocation of its capital. He also authored and translated several works related to East Germany and Germany, including 'From General Secretary to Prisoner', 'Germany's New Chancellor Schröder', and 'Starting Point and End Point - Memoirs of Former East German Chancellor Modrow'.

In 2013, prior to Wang Jianzheng's return to China at the end of his term, the Chinese Embassy in Germany hosted a 'Farewell Reception for the Military Attaché'. The embassy's website featured 'Ambassador Shi's Speech at the Farewell Reception for the Military Attaché'.

In his speech, it was noted that over the past 20 years, 'he gradually advanced from the rank of Major to Major General, reaching a higher platform in his military diplomatic career'. The two had 'established a deep personal friendship', and he was characterized as 'knowledgeable and responsible', with 'a profound understanding and feeling for the situation in Germany, a unique affection for the country, and having formed deep friendships with many German friends'.

Ambassador Shi noted that during General Wang Jianzheng's tenure of over four years, "this was a period of continuous deepening development of the strategic partnership between China and Germany, and the military relations between the two countries also maintained a strong momentum of rapid growth. In recent years, there have been frequent high-level mutual visits between the two militaries, and practical cooperation in various professional fields has been continuously strengthened. The three major communication and dialogue mechanisms between the two militaries—defense strategy consultations, General Staff dialogues, and senior officer security policy seminars—have been operating smoothly and advancing steadily. Senior military leaders from China, including the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Equipment, the Commander of the Air Force, and the Commander of the Navy, have visited Germany, while their German counterparts, including the Minister of Defense, the National Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, the Deputy Director, the Inspector General of the Army, and the Inspector General of the Medical Support Forces, have visited China."

This indicates that Wang Jianzheng has played a crucial role in fostering exchanges between the Chinese and German militaries. His fluent German, extensive knowledge, and diligent work ethic have easily earned him the goodwill of the Germans. One of Wang Jianzheng's German friends is Han Ning, who has received high praise from supervisors and colleagues for his "outstanding work." Does this also involve building connections within the German political and military circles and gathering intelligence?

After returning to China, Wang Jianzheng has remained active. At the age of 60, he has served as a senior advisor to the China International Strategic Studies Association since 2014. Although the China International Strategic Studies Association appears to be a non-profit civil organization, it is supervised by the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, and its purpose is to serve the interests of the Communist Party.

After joining this society, Wang Jianzheng began reaching out to old friends in Germany—retired high-ranking officials who still possess the ability to access various intelligence from Germany. One such individual is Hanning, who became a target for Wang Jianzheng's recruitment efforts. These recruitment methods typically involved consulting on certain issues based on established good relationships, while offering monetary or sexual favors in return, all conducted discreetly to avoid detection by the outside world.

For instance, in a dialogue published in 2017 with former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Wang Jianzheng expressed his gratitude for the 'guidance and explanations' provided by Hanning. How much more 'guidance and explanations' might there be in this context?

According to reports from Der Spiegel, Hanning has made multiple visits to China since his retirement. So, who extended these invitations? Is there a connection to Wang Jianzheng behind the scenes? In 2023, both names appeared together on the participant list of a China-Europe conference. Additionally, they both served on the advisory committee of a Sino-German ecological park in Qingdao. Could this simply be a coincidence?

As a high-ranking official in the intelligence community, whether Hanning actively or inadvertently leaked internal German intelligence remains unclear. However, it is evident that Wang Jianzheng, as an intelligence officer for the Chinese Communist Party, is actively gathering intelligence. The question remains: how many such intelligence officers from the Chinese Communist Party are operating in Germany?

(First published by People News)△