Iranian Elite's Perception of China

The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing Iranian elites' attitudes toward China's role in Iran and the world, and of presenting policy recommendations based on field findings. The theoretical framework of the study is a combination of the constructivist approach, which emphasizes the social construction of political realities, and approaches that focus on the influence of public opinion and elites in the process of foreign policy formulation. Using a survey research method and a researcher-developed questionnaire, the attitudes of ۲۵۰ Iranian academic, economic, and media elites were measured across four variables—performance, trust, importance, and opportunity—within three domains: economic, cultural–social, and political–security. The findings indicate a multidimensional attitude grounded in strategic realism. In the economic domain, elites acknowledge China's privileged position as a key actor in the global economy and consider the expansion of trade relations an opportunity for Iran. At the same time, they emphasize the necessity of market diversification, avoiding exclusivity, differentiating China's role in the energy sector, and technology transfer instead of mere dependence. The level of trust in this domain has been assessed as relatively low due to concerns about product quality and uncertainty regarding long-term commitments. In the cultural–social domain, elites largely view China as an opportunity for developing tourism, academic exchanges, and cultural interactions; however, they consider Iranian society's knowledge of China's cultural and social dimensions to be limited and emphasize the need to develop deep, bilateral interactions free from directive oversight. In the political–security domain, although China's international role and its importance for Iran are acknowledged, the level of trust is low due to Beijing's ambiguous and interest-driven behavioral record in international organizations and the Middle East region. Elites emphasize Iran's regional strategic autonomy, leveraging China's support in international institutions, and avoiding the foundation of foreign policy on the axis of China–U.S. competition. In conclusion, by placing the concept of "national interest" as the link between elites' attitudes and policymakers, the paper highlights the necessity of formulating an active, smart, and national-interest-based strategy toward China. This strategy should, while benefiting from opportunities for cooperation, focus on preserving strategic autonomy, diversifying foreign relations, and increasing Iran's bargaining power.

کلیدواژه ها:

Iranian elites ، performance ، Trust ، Importance ، opportunity ، National Interest