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[[File:GvV3M4wW4AATnEm.png|thumb|right|500px|[[Stephen Lillie]] shilling for Ukraine at the [[OPCW]] July 2025.<ref>From his X feed [https://x.com/UK_OPCW/status/1942592074114535790 here]</ref>]]

'''Stephen Lillie''' CMG (born 4 February 1966)<ref name="whoswho">Lillie, Stephen, Who's Who 2018 Oxford University Press.</ref> is a British diplomat who has been active in the national security policy community for some years. He became the Director for [[Defence and International Security Directorate|Defence and International Security]] at the [[Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office]] (FCDO) in September 2022.

:Mr Stephen Lillie CMG became the Director for [[Defence and International Security Directorate|Defence and International Security]] at the [[Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office]] (FCDO) in September 2022. A senior career diplomat, Stephen has extensive experience of complex geopolitical issues, with particular focus on the Indo-Pacific region. He has had postings across Asia in China, India and the Philippines, where he was British Ambassador. He was Foreign Office Asia-Pacific Director from 2013 to 2017, advising the government on UK policy towards China, and leading official engagement with key regional partners including Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand. Most recently Stephen was British High Commissioner to Cyprus from 2018 to 2022, in which role he worked closely with the UK Ministry of Defence in support of the UK’s Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. Stephen is a Chinese speaker, having studied the language in Hong Kong and London. He has a degree in German and French from Oxford.<ref>https://www.gov.uk/government/people/stephen-lillie</ref>

The [[Defence and International Security Directorate]] is part of the [[Defence and Intelligence Directorate General]] in the FCDO, which is effectively part of the British intelligence community and in which several MI6 officers generally serve, most notably in [[HMG Russia Unit]], but also in the [[National Security Directorate]] and the [[Information Threats and Influence Directorate]]. If Lillie is not actually a career MI6 officer, he will have been heavily briefed by MI6 operatives before shilling for Ukraine at the [[OPCW]] in July 2025.<ref>https://x.com/UK_OPCW/status/1942592074114535790</ref><ref>https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/statement-to-the-109th-session-of-the-executive-council-of-the-opcw</ref>

==Early Life and Education==
Lillie was born in early 1966 in Bradford. His mothers maiden name was Corcoran.<ref>https://www.freebmd2.org.uk/6975fb0cb620e0b314d6bfe3/entry-information/233928535/stephen-lillie-birth-west-riding-of-yorkshire-to-mar1974-bradford-v2b-p150?locale=en&search_entry=233928535</ref>

Lillie was educated at [[South Wolds Comprehensive School]] in Nottingham and [[The Queen's College, Oxford]] where he achieved a degree in German and French.

Lillie married [[Denise Lillie]] (formerly Denise Chit Lo, sometimes given as [[Denise Chit Lo Lillie]]<ref>https://mostafa.openonline.co.uk/?p=82513</ref>). They have two children.<Ref>https://thediplomaticsociety.co.za/?view=archive&layout=blog&id=16&start=4330</ref>

==Career==
He joined [[HM Diplomatic Service]] in 1988 and was sent for Chinese language training at the [[School of Oriental and African Studies]] and the [[Chinese University of Hong Kong]] 1989–91. He served in Beijing 1992–96, at the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]] (FCO) 1996–99, at [[Guangzhou]] as [[Consul-General]] 1999–2003, and in New Delhi 2003–06. He was head of the [[Far Eastern Department]] at the FCO 2006–09, then ambassador to the Philippines and also non-resident ambassador to [[Micronesia]], the [[Marshall Islands]] and [[Palau]] 2009–13. He was Director, [[Asia Pacific Department]], at the FCO 2013–17 and was then appointed to be [[High Commissioner (Commonwealth)|High Commissioner]] to the Republic of Cyprus from April 2018.<ref name="whoswho"/><ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-british-high-commissioner-to-cyprus--2 Change of British High Commissioner to Cyprus], Foreign & Commonwealth Office |date=13 July 2017</ref>

*2017 Full time language training
*2013 – 2017 FCO, Director, Asia Pacific
*2009 – 2013 Manila, Her Majesty’s Ambassador and Non-Resident Ambassador to Palau, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia
*2006 – 2009 FCO, Head, Far Eastern Department
*2003 – 2006 New Delhi, Counsellor (Economic) and Director of Trade & Investment
*1999 – 2003 Guangzhou, Her Majesty’s Consul-General
*1998 – 1999 FCO, Deputy Head, China Hong Kong Department
*1997 – 1998 FCO, Head of Section, Hong Kong Department
*1996 – 1997 FCO, Head of Section, European Union Department (Internal)
*1992 – 1995 Beijing, Second later First Secretary (Economic and Political)
*1989 – 1991 Full time language training (Mandarin)
*1988 – 1989 FCO, Assistant Desk Officer, Middle East Department<ref>https://mostafa.openonline.co.uk/?p=82513</ref>

==Honours==
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of Sikatuna]], Rank of Datu (2 July 2013).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/the-order-of-sikatuna/|title=The Order of Sikatuna|work=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines }}</ref>
*[[Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George]] (CMG) ([[2017 Birthday Honours]]).<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61962|supp=y|page=B4|date=17 June 2017}}</ref>
==Contact==
*[https://x.com/StephenLillieUK @StephenLillieUK]

==Notes==

Stephen Lillie - Revision history

David: Created page with "[[Stephen Lillie shilling for Ukraine at the OPCW July 2025.From his X feed [https://x.com/UK_OPCW/status/1942592074114..."