Dr. Minghao ZHAO is a Senior Fellow at Institute of International Studies/Center for American Studies, Fudan University. Prior to joining Fudan University in 2019, he served as a senior fellow and deputy director for strategic studies at China Center for Contemporary World Studies, the in-house think tank of International Department of the CPC’s Central Committee (IDCPC). He has been awarded the IDCPC Prize for Excellence in Policy Research for several times. He also holds the following positions: Member of China National Committee, Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP); Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Peking University; Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University.

His research focuses on China’s foreign policy, Sino-US relations, and Asia-Pacific security. He is author of Strategic Restraint: Is New-type Sino-US Relationship Possible and The Belt & Road Initiative and China’s Connectivity-oriented Global Diplomacy. He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed scholarly articles and chapters in books. The policy reports written by him have informed Chinese leaders including members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the CPC. He has also briefed officials from National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other Chinese government agencies. He has also contributed policy papers for Center for American Progress, US National Bureau of Asian Research, and Italian Institute of International Affairs among other research institutions. 

He has been awarded research grants from the National Social Sciences Fund of China, National Development and Reform Commission of China, China Ministry of Foreign Affair, China Ministry of Science and Technology, China Development Research Foundation, the Sumitomo Foundation of Japan, and other institutions. His opinion pieces have been featured in People's Daily, China Daily, New York Times, Project Syndicate, Nikkei Asian Review, The Diplomat among other media outlets. 

He has participated in international research projects, such as Global Trends and China-US Relations, a project co-sponsored by the Atlantic Council and China Institute for International Studies. He has been invited to speak at international conferences, including World Peace Forum (Tsinghua University), Beijing Forum (Peking University), Xiangshan Forum (China Association of Military Science), Global Strategic Review Conference (International Institute for Strategic Studies, UK), Atlantic Dialogue (German Marshall Fund, US), The Rhodes Forum (The Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute, Russia), and Asan Beijing Forum (Asan Institute for Policy Studies, ROK).

He received a Ph.D. in International Relations, a MA in Diplomatic History, and a BA in Art Studies from Peking University. He also earned a LL.M in International Human Rights Law from a joint program by Lund University, Sweden and Peking University. He has held visiting scholarships at research institutions in the United States, Italy, Japan, and Taiwan.