ICAS was founded with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China through the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS) in 2015.[1] It was the CCP's first foreign think tank.[2] It was formed in response to CCP general secretary 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 known for its support of China's aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea and advocacy for CCP interests in the U.S.[4] Its efforts have been described as CCP "propaganda".[5]