Matthew Downing
Biography
Matt was appointed Deputy Head of Mission to Indonesia and Timor Leste in August 2022. Prior to this, he worked as Deputy Director, Head of Western Balkans Programme Department in FCDO London.
After completing his MA in Oriental Studies at Trinity College Cambridge, Matt joined the FCO Fast Stream in 2003. Following a series of London-based assignments and an early posting to Baghdad, much of Matt’s career has been focused on the Asia Pacific region. He has been posted to Seoul (2007 to 2010) and twice to Beijing (2010 to 2014 and 2016 to 2019), with time in between leading a team in the FCO South East Asia Department back in London.
A fluent Mandarin speaker, he’s also learning Bahasa Indonesia.
Previous roles in government
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Deputy Head of Mission to Indonesia and Timor-Leste