Paul Ritchie CMG OBE

Biography

Paul retired as Director from the FCO in April 2017 after a 33 year career specialising in International Security. He served overseas in Cyprus (twice), New York, Brussels and most recently in Kabul (2009-11).  In His final post responsible for Asia he took a particular interest in relations between India and China and the implications of China's Belt and Road for regional stability.

He is especially focused on lines drawn on maps by British colonialists and their enduring impact on international relations. He has a portfolio of consultancy roles in cyber security, cloud computing and open source intelligence.

Research interests

• South Asia
• Politics of conflict
• Afghanistan
• Colonial boundaries and their enduring impact
• India China relations
• Geopolitical impact of China's Belt and Road