Anthony Patrick Francis Browne (born 16 March 1948) is a retired New Zealand diplomat. * In 1966 Tony Browne was in the first group of

Volunteer Service Abroad Volunteer Service Abroad - Te Tūao Tāwāhi (VSA) a New Zealand-based volunteering agency working in international development. Operations VSA volunteers share skills with people in the wider Pacific. VSA's work is diverse and driven by the ...

to go to the then

New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...

. *He graduated MA (1st class Hons in History from the University of Canterbury *In 1973 he entered the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (New Zealand) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) (Māori: ''Manatū Aorere'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the government on foreign and trade policy, and promoting New Zealand's interests in trade and in ...

and began language training that year in Hong Kong. He was posted to

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

from 1976 to 1978. *From 1983 to 1985 he was Official Secretary in the Office for

Tokelau Tokelau (; ; known previously as the Union Islands, and, until 1976, known officially as the Tokelau Islands) is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It consists of three tropical coral atolls: Atafu, Nukunonu, a ...

Affairs, based in

Apia Apia () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō ...

. In 1980 he helped in

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

to set up its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade. *From 1985 to 1987 he was on the staff of the New Zealand Mission to the

United Nations Headquarters The United Nations is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States, and the complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1951. It is in the Turtle Bay, Manhattan, Turtle Bay neig ...

in New York City. *From 1987 to 1990 he was the first resident High Commissioner to

. *In 1990, Browne was awarded the

New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal The New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal was a commemorative medal awarded in New Zealand in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, and was awarded to approximately 3,000 people. Background The New Zea ...

. *From 1990 to 1994 was Director of the Domestic and External Security Secretariat in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. *From 1994 to 1997 was Director of the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei. *From 1998 to 2000 he was the Chief of Protocol then from 2000 to 2004 was Director of the North Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. *From 2004 to 2009 he was

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

. *From 2010 to his retirement in 2011 he was Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade. *In 2011 he was appointed as Chair of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre, and also assumed the position of Chair of the Victoria University of Wellington Confucius Institute. *He was appointed to the executive board of the New Zealand China Council when the council was established in 2012. *He is a Senior Consultant to Hanban, the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing. *He is Deputy Chair of New Zealand Chinese Language Week. *He is New Zealand Director of the China Advanced Leadership Program for ANZSOG (Australia and New Zealand School of Government).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Browne, Tony 1948 births Living people Ambassadors of New Zealand to China People from Nelson, New Zealand People educated at Christchurch Boys' High School