Gareth Hoar was appointed British High Commissioner to Samoa in April 2023. Before this, he was the British Consul-General in Wuhan from 2018 to 2022. Gareth joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1984, first working in the British Embassy in Beijing, followed by assignments in Santiago and Washington. He has held a number of roles in China, including Deputy Director of UK Trade & Investment and as Minister-Counsellor and Director in the Department for International Trade in Beijing, where he led a team promoting export opportunities for UK companies and supporting their business development in China.
The High Commissioner is the UK government’s representative in a Commonwealth nation. They are responsible for the direction and work of the High Commission and its Deputy High Commissions and/or Consulates, including political work, trade and investment, press and cultural relations, and visa and consular services.
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