Institute for China-America Studies

Last updated
Institute for China-America Studies
AbbreviationICAS
Formation2015;10 years ago (2015)
Type 501(c)3 organization
46-4867689
Headquarters Washington, D.C.
Executive director
Nong Hong
Affiliations Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
Website chinaus-icas.org OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Institute for China-America Studies (ICAS) is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank affiliated with and funded by the government of the People's Republic of China.

Contents

Founded in 2015, ICAS receives most of its funding from the Hainan Nanhai Research Foundation, which is sponsored in-turn by the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs-funded research institute based in Haikou, China. [1] [2] [3] ICAS receives additional funding from the China Institute of the University of Alberta, Nanjing University, and Wuhan University. [3]

ICAS was the first think tank launched by the government of the People's Republic of China overseas. [4] It was formed in response to General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping's call for CCP supporters to establish a presence in the United States to "go global" to "advance the Chinese narrative." [3] ICAS is led by academic Nong Hong. [5]

ICAS is known for its support of China's aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea. [6] Its efforts have been described as "a channel for propaganda" skewed towards the policies of the PRC government. [2]

Reception

A U.S. government report from the United States–China Economic and Security Review Commission described ICAS as an attempt by the CCP to "directly inject its own voice into policy discussions" as "part of a campaign to introduce Beijing’s views on its territorial claims in the South China Sea to Washington." [7]

Foreign Policy reported that despite its significant funding, ICAS struggles in gaining credibility and attention in the U.S. due to its alignment with Beijing's views and lack of aggressive engagement and sophisticated operations within the think tank ecosystem. [1] It is viewed as part of China's multi-pronged strategy to force its will in the South China Sea against international law and as a mouthpiece for the CCP. [3] [8]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Fish, Isaac Stone (July 7, 2016). "Beijing Establishes a D.C. Think Tank, and No One Notices". Foreign Policy . Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  2. 1 2 Economy, Elizabeth (December 22, 2017). "Beware Chinese Influence but Be Wary of a China Witch Hunt". Council on Foreign Relations . Archived from the original on 2024-03-03. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Diamond, Larry; Schell, Orville (2019-08-01). China's Influence and American Interests: Promoting Constructive Vigilance (PDF). Hoover Press. p. 81. ISBN   978-0-8179-2286-3. OCLC   1104533323. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-06-20. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  4. ↑ Brady, Anne-Marie (October 26, 2015). "China's Foreign Propaganda Machine". Wilson Center . Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  5. ↑ "Nong Hong | The China Institute". University of Alberta . Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  6. ↑ Hiebert, Kyle (January 4, 2023). "War Games Offer Partial Picture of a Future China-US Clash Over Taiwan". Centre for International Governance Innovation . Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  7. ↑ Bowe, Alexander (August 24, 2018). "China's Overseas United Front Work" (PDF). U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission . Archived (PDF) from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  8. ↑ Schestowitz, Roy (2018-01-04). "The Chinese Communist Party has growing sway in Western universities". Democratic Audit. Archived from the original on 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2024-09-26.

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