Analysis | Iran-China pact not a cure-all for Tehran's economic woes 30 Jul 2021, 05:49 GMT+10 Iran's incoming hardline leadership is looking to China to provide economic relief for the country's flatlining economy. But so far, the foundation for a new strategic partnership seems to rest more on rhetoric than substance. Ebrahim Raisi, who will be inaugurated August 3 as Iran's president, is inheriting a domestic economy that is on life support, thanks to decades of corruption and mismanagement, compounded by U.S. sanctions. The situation ensures that a top foreign policy priority for Raisi will be cultivating stronger ties with China. Not only does Beijing possess the economic clout that can ease Tehran's sanctions-related pain, the two countries have a mutual interest in checking Washington's global influence.