Christopher Elder

Chris Elder is a retired diplomat of New Zealand.

Until 1973 Chris Elder was trained as a Chinese linguist.
From 1973 to 1975 he was employed in the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing when it was opened.^[1]
From 1993 to 1997 he was ambassador in Beijing.
From 2001 to 2006 he was New Zealand's longest-serving ambassador in Jakarta.
From 2006 to August 7, 2009 he was ambassador in the Embassy of New Zealand in Moscow (Russian Federation).^[2]
In Wellington, Chris has served as the Deputy Secretary with responsibility for Asian affairs and security policy in the Asia-Pacific region.
From August 7, 2009 to 2012 he was Chargé d'affaires in Berlin.
Despite his expertise in China/New Zealand relations, Chris did not serve again in Beijing.
In 2012 he retired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (New Zealand).
He has published a range of papers and articles relating to New Zealand's interaction with China and with Asia.
With Michael Green, he co-authored a historical survey of New Zealand-China relations (New Zealand and China 1792-1972) and with Robert Ayson a Centre for Strategic Studies Discussion Paper, China's Rise and New Zealand's Interests: A Policy Primer for 2030.

Publications

Old Peking: City of the Ruler of the World, Oxford University Press, 1997
China's Treaty Ports: Half Love and Half Hate, Oxford University Press, 1999^[3]
New Zealand's China Experience: Its Genesis, Triumphs, and Occasional Moments of less than Complete Success, Victoria University Press, 2012
Forty Years On: New Zealand-China Relations then, now and in the Years to Come, Victoria University Press, 2013^[4]