Pete Millwood

Pete Millwood is a Lecturer in East Asian History at the Department of History, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne. He has previously taught or held research fellowships at Tsinghua University, the London School of Economics (LSE), and the University of Hong Kong’s Society of Fellows in the Humanities.

His research focuses on transnational aspects of US-China relations during the Cold War, particularly the role of non-state actors such as scientists, musicians, and athletes in reshaping diplomatic ties. His work explores ideological movements, especially global Maoism, and how transnational communist movements responded to doctrinal shifts in China after Mao Zedong’s death.

His recent publications appear in leading journals including Diplomatic History, Journal of Contemporary History, and Cold War History. His first monograph, Improbable Diplomats: How Ping-Pong Players, Musicians, and Scientists Remade US-China Relations (Cambridge University Press, 2022), examines the cultural dimensions of diplomatic rapprochement between the United States and China.

• Research explores transnational Maoism and ideological loyalty after Mao’s death
• Focus on fragmentation of the American radical left post-1970s
• Interdisciplinary approach combining diplomatic, cultural, and intellectual history

Scientific Awards:

• No awards mentioned in the text.

He has advised or supervised no students listed in the provided material. There is no mention of research grants or funding sources. He is actively engaged in academic discourse, recently presenting at the CIH VII: Uncertain Boundaries conference. No information is available about labs or formal research teams he leads.