Germany's envoy to China dies just two weeks into job

Hecker, 54, a foreign policy adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel, had just taken up his post on Aug. 24, the embassy in the Chinese capital said in a posting on its social media Wechat account.

According to Reuters, the cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

"It is with deep sadness and dismay that we learned of the sudden death of the German ambassador to China," Germany's Federal Foreign Office said on its website.

An embassy spokesman declined further comment to Reuters.

RHM/PR