China is prepared to sign a Southeast Asian accord prohibiting nuclear weapons on the continent, Malaysia’s foreign minister assured on Thursday. The accord would serve as a bulwark for the region against the increased global security tensions and threats.
Diplomatic Boost at ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
China’s decision to sign the accord was a welcome move as senior diplomats gathered in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers’ gathering.
Malaysian foreign minister Mohamad Hasan, while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting, said, “China made a commitment to ensure that they will sign the treaty without reservation.”
About the SEANWFZ Treaty and ASEAN’s Broader Goals
The Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEANWFZ) was signed in 1997, prohibiting member countries from applying nuclear weapons to non-peaceful uses, including the generation of electricity, Reuters said.
ASEAN’s goal is that the five great nuclear powers of the world, namely China, the United States, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom, should sign the treaty and agree to non-use or transit of nuclear weapons in the region, including countries’ exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.
China Reaffirms Support for Nuclear-Free Southeast Asia
In the meantime, the Chinese foreign ministry reported that it is negotiating with ASEAN countries on signing the treaty.
“China has always firmly supported the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Southeast Asia, and has repeatedly expressed its willingness to take the lead in signing the protocol to the treaty,” Mao Ning, ministry spokesperson, said during a regular press briefing.
China’s foreign minister Wang Yi is also in Kuala Lumpur to attend the meeting his ASEAN counterparts are having.
US Secretary Marco Rubio Attends ASEAN, Promotes Tariff Incentives
As for ASEAN, US State Secretary Marco Rubio, during his first trip to Asia in his position, is also in Malaysia to be present at the meeting. On Thursday, he said Asian nations may receive “better” tariff rates compared to the rest of the world.
His statement follows US President Donald Trump’s warning to slap retaliatory tariffs on more than 20 nations if they failed to strike a deal with Washington by August 1.
“I would say that when all is said and done, many of the countries in Southeast Asia are going to have tariff rates that are actually better than countries in other parts of the world,” Rubio said on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting.
Tariff Talks with Japan and Assurance to Asia Continue
“But these talks continue. There’ll be talks next week with Japan. There’s ongoing talks with virtually every country represented here,” he added.
Rubio also assured that the US has “no intention of abandoning” the East and Southeast Asia region. “Not only we’re not going to walk away from them, we seek to expand them and build upon them with a part of the world that is essential,” he added.
Rubio Meets Lavrov, Expresses Frustration Over Ukraine
His comment followed a meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who was also in Malaysia for the ASEAN gathering. During his meeting with Lavrov, Rubio described himself as ‘disappointment and frustration’ at the failure to make progress on stopping the war in Ukraine.
Marco Rubio will also most likely meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN gathering.
