This book investigates why public opinions toward China in Iran have shifted dramatically from somehow positive and indifference to outright negative and antagonistic. Arguing that China’s overall approach and performance have played a big role in the rise of anti-Chinese sentiments among Iranians, the study seeks to reappraise contemporary Sino–Iranian relationship by putting the spotlight on major contentious developments involving the two countries. While the Chinese have strived hard in Iran during the past several decades to present themselves as a force for good in their entirety, they have largely failed to win the hearts and minds of many Iranian people in lockstep with the East Asian power’s growing politico-economic and technological clout in the Persian Gulf country. Additionally, this research underscores failures of the Islamic Republic in selling China to its citizenry as a true friend of Iranians and a reliable ally for Iran on the world stage.

Shirzad Azad is a scholar of political science with the research foci on the international relations of East Asia–Middle East. He is also the author of several monographs and scholarly books, including China in Iraq after the War: From Underdog to Unassailable; China and Iran Readjust Relations: Economic Implications of the Suspended Nuclear Deal; and Iran and China: A New Approach to Their Bilateral Relations