On August 7, 2023, Global China Hub nonresident fellow Tuvia Gering was quoted in the South China Morning Post on the potential for China to act as a mediator between Saudi Arabia and Israel, stating: “China would love nothing more than cutting the ribbon to Israeli-Saudi normalisation because these are two close US partners. And China [taking] the credit, that would send a huge signal to everyone… So sure, if they can land it. But that’s why I don’t think they’ll be able to … Israel is not Saudi Arabia. This is no imitation game. Israel does not play the China card with the US.”