Former Consuls General

Richard A. Boucher

Former Consul General Richard A. Boucher

Richard Boucher, United States Consul General, arrived in Hong Kong in August 1996. Mr. Boucher was most recently United States Ambassador to Cyprus from October 1993 to June 1996. Previously, he served for four and one half years as the Deputy Spokesman and Spokesman for three Secretaries of State.

Mr. Boucher is a career Foreign Service Officer. He entered the Foreign Service in 1977. After studying Chinese, he served from 1979 to 1980 at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou. In Washington he then worked in the State Department's Economic Bureau and on the China Desk, and returned to China with his wife from 1984 to 1986 as Deputy Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai.

Upon his return to Washington in July 1986, he served as a Senior Watch Officer in the State Department's Operations Center. From August 1987 to March 1989, he worked as Deputy Director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs. He started as Deputy Press Spokesman for the State Department under Secretary Baker in March 1989 and became Spokesman under Secretary Eagleburger in August 1992. Secretary Christopher asked him to continue as Spokesman until June 1993.

Mr. Boucher was born in Bethesda, Maryland. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in 1973 from Tufts University in English and French literature and did graduate work in economics at George Washington University. He speaks French and Chinese. He is married to Carolyn Brehm, an executive with Project Orbis. They have one daughter, Madeleine, and one son, Peter.