Sir Leonard Appleyard KCMG is a former British diplomat. He has a degree (with Honours) in Classical Chinese from Queens' College, Cambridge and speaks Chinese, Russian, Hungarian and French. He served as the British Ambassador to the People's Republic of China between 1966 and 1968 (during the country's Cultural Revolution). He served as First Secretary British High Commission in India from 1971-1974, and later returned to China as ambassador in 1994 until 1997, a period which witnessed the Taiwan Strait Crisis (1995-6) and also the 'handover' of Hong Kong from UK rule to the People's Republic of China.
Sir Leonard also served as the UK's ambassador to Hungary; served in the Treasury; in the Cabinet Office as Deputy Cabinet Secretary; as Secretary of the Gulf War Cabinet; and Financial Counsellor in Paris.
Following his departure from the diplomatic service, Sir Leonard took up a position as vice-chairman of Barclays Capital.
Sir Leonard also served as joint-Chairman on the Nuffield Languages Programme Steering Group along with Sir Trevor McDonald.
He is currently Pro-Chancellor of Bournemouth University.
A Senior Fellow at the Centre for Contemporary China, Southampton University.