Individuals who assume significant responsibilities play a pivotal role in shaping the foreign policy of a nation. With the inauguration of the 13th government, there was a shift in the country’s foreign policy approach, mirroring the change in leadership. The new president, cognizant of the power transition in the international system from West to East, sought to balance his government’s foreign policy by enhancing engagement with the East, particularly the emerging Eastern powers, with China being a notable example.

Assessing a government’s foreign policy provides a valuable lens to evaluate its performance and identify its strengths and weaknesses. However, there is a noticeable lack of such research concerning relations with China during the 13th government. This study aims to ascertain the significance of the Iran-China relationship through an analysis of President Raisi’s speeches and to identify the strategic components of this relationship within the government’s Asian policy.

To conduct this research, Dr. Raisi’s perspectives, as a pivotal figure in shaping the government’s foreign policy on matters related to China, were extracted and analyzed using the thematic analysis method in MAXQDA software. Six organizing themes were extracted: “Strategic Partnership”, “Political-Security”, “Economic”, “Cultural”, “Scientific and Research”, and “Health and Treatment”. These themes fall under a global theme titled “Strategic Components of Iran-China Relations”, which emerged from the research findings.