The Alleged China-Linked ‘Think Tank’ Spreading Antisemitic Disinformation
A supposed research institute with no verifiable footprint and a record of fabricated claims is amplifying antisemitic narratives while drawing follows from Chinese officials
A social media account claiming to be Somalia’s premier research institute on China-Africa relations accused “Israel-First backstabbing Jewish envoys” of sabotaging U.S.-Iran peace talks in April 2026, citing a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Vice President JD Vance that supposedly derailed negotiations.
The claim, attributed to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, never appeared on Araghchi’s verified X account. It appears to be the latest in a documented pattern of false or misleading claims from SICS, including assertions previously debunked by Dan Smith and Radio Free Asia’s Asia Fact Check Lab.
Independent analysis found no evidence that SICS is registered as an organization, while its posting patterns appear more consistent with daytime hours in China than in Somalia. The account has also served as a conduit for Chinese state narratives, at times laced with antisemitic rhetoric. At least 29 Chinese government officials have followed it, including China’s ambassador to Somalia.
A Think Tank That Doesn’t Exist
Despite claiming to be “Somalia’s only Research Institute & Think Tank covering China’s impact on Somalia & Africa,” the Somali Institute of Chinese Studies has no publicly listed physical address, no registered business presence in Somalia’s Ministry of Commerce registry, and no website beyond its social media accounts.
Independent researcher Dan Smith analyzed SICS’s posting patterns using Twitter analytics tools and found the account’s activity peaks between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. East Africa Time — the middle of the night in Somalia, but daytime business hours in China. “While not proving that someone inside China is running the account, this is wildly inconsistent with what posting would look like if they were based in Somalia,” Smith wrote in an August 2023 exposé.
Despite heavy posting, Smith reported finding no independent institutional footprint comparable to what one would usually expect from an established think tank, such as a dedicated website, verifiable organizational records, or identifiable research programming.
Chinese State Media Platforming
The account’s founder, Ali Hoosoow, has been featured prominently in Chinese state media. In a September 2024 Global Times interview, Hoosoow praised China’s approach to Africa while characterizing Western engagement as “modernized exploitation” and claiming “Westernization” includes “democratization, polarization, depopulation, and media indoctrination.”
When asked about Chinese modernization, Hoosoow effusively described it as “built upon unwavering balance, shared societal values, peaceful advancements of Chinese culture” and stated that China’s fisheries cooperation with Somalia differs from “Western practices that often exploit our maritime resources.”
In a follower-list snapshot Smith downloaded on April 8, 2023, SICS was followed by at least 29 Chinese officials, and 106 follower accounts listed locations inside China
Fabricating Claims About Jewish Officials
On April 12, 2026, SICS posted that “Iran-America negotiations in Pakistan collapsed given Israel-First backstabbing Jewish envoys — Witkoff and Kushner, who pushed Netanyahu’s terms as US demands for a ceasefire.”
The post specifically identified the negotiators as “Jewish envoys” and accused them of placing Israeli interests above American ones — a classic antisemitic dual loyalty trope. The account later claimed that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had stated Netanyahu called Vance during negotiations, shifting focus to “Israel’s interests.”
No such post appeared on Araghchi’s verified X account. While Araghchi did post about the failed talks on April 12, stating Iran “encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade,” he made no mention of Netanyahu, a phone call, or Israeli interference.
The Hindustan Times confirmed that while speculation about a Netanyahu-Vance call circulated on social media, “no such [X] post was found” from Araghchi making this claim.
A Pattern of Provocative Content
Beyond fabricated diplomatic claims, SICS has promoted inflammatory content targeting American Jewish communities. In December 2025, the account shared a map depicting a fictional “Two State Solution” carving Minnesota into “Minnesomalia” with the “Carmel Mall as the Capital,” echoing “From the River to the Lake” rhetoric in a post captioned “Minnesota is ours.”
Smith’s analysis found SICS consistently denies documented human rights abuses in Xinjiang, claiming “Chinese Muslims of the Uyghur ethnicity are full of patriotism and love for country” and characterizing reports of forced labor camps as “forced misinformation.”
The account has also amplified conspiracy theories framing U.S. diplomatic efforts as deliberately targeting Iranian and resistance leaders. In an April 2026 post titled “This the unhinged behavior of the ‘Great Satan,’” SICS claimed that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah “was assassinated during a ceasefire,” Ayatollah Khamenei’s aide “was assassinated during ongoing negotiations,” and “Hamas negotiators in Qatar were bombed discussing US proposal,” concluding with “US negotiation = tactical operation.”
The post featured a photo of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei alongside Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and former Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
This framing echoes a consistent narrative across SICS content: portraying U.S. and Israeli actions as coordinated deception while positioning Iranian-backed militant groups as legitimate diplomatic actors betrayed during good-faith negotiations.
How Influence Operations Exploit Authority Bias
By positioning itself as an academic research institution, SICS leverages what psychologists call authority bias — the tendency to trust sources perceived as expert. “Audiences who have already bought into views supporting the content’s messaging can justify their belief in disinformation by attributing it to supposed ‘expert analysis,’ even without proof,” Smith wrote.
The account’s Medium page lists numerous articles on Somalia-China relations, African geopolitics, and regional infrastructure projects. While written in an analytical style, the pieces uniformly promote Chinese state interests while attacking Western influence.
Dan Smith noted that SICS is followed by several prominent anti-Western influencers, including Ben Norton, a journalist known for pro-authoritarian positions, and Jerry’s China, a Western influencer who has attempted to “debunk” reports of Uyghur persecution.
The Broader Chinese Disinformation Ecosystem
SICS isn’t alone. Smith identified at least four other similar accounts targeting English-speaking African audiences with Chinese state narratives, the largest having around 980 followers as of August 2023.
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies documented that “The Chinese Communist Party is the second most prolific Africa-wide sponsor of disinformation with five known multi-regional campaigns.”
These operations exploit regional grievances about colonialism and Western policy to position China as a benevolent alternative, while systematically undermining trust in democratic institutions, independent media, and documented human rights reporting.
Documented Impact
SICS gained 275 followers between April 7-19, 2023, during heavy posting about Sudan’s civil conflict, demonstrating its ability to reach new audiences during geopolitical crises. As of April 2026, the fabricated Netanyahu-Vance claim received over 61,400 views.
The account’s follower network includes officials, influencers, and ordinary users across Africa and the diaspora, creating pathways for Chinese state narratives — and antisemitic disinformation — to reach communities already navigating complex relationships with Western institutions.