KUALA LUMPUR – China has officially signalled its willingness to sign the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty without reservation — a diplomatic milestone that could prompt other nuclear powers to follow suit, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan revealed on Tuesday.
Speaking after chairing the SEANWFZ Commission Meeting on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), Mohamad said Malaysia, as this year’s Asean Chair, has also been approached by another “two to three” nuclear-weapon states expressing renewed interest in engaging with the 1995 treaty, Bernama reported.
“This is a positive development,” he told reporters, without naming the countries involved.
His remarks come days after he disclosed that China and Russia had shown readiness to move forward, while the United States was still reviewing its position.
In another key decision, ASEAN foreign ministers also formally endorsed Timor-Leste’s accession to the SEANWFZ, with the official signing scheduled to take place during the 47th ASEAN Summit in October.
Mohamad added that ASEAN will now look into refining its internal procedures and strengthening cooperation with other nuclear weapon-free zones worldwide.
“This is something we are pursuing so that we can establish common ground and discuss ways to ensure the world is free from the threat of nuclear weapons,” he said.
First signed in 1995, the SEANWFZ Treaty — or Bangkok Treaty — prohibits ASEAN countries from developing, manufacturing, acquiring, or possessing nuclear weapons, and seeks binding commitments from the five recognised nuclear-weapon states (China, Russia, US, UK, France) to respect the zone.
It remains one of five such zones globally, alongside Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the South Pacific, and Central Asia. – July 8, 2025