China will sign SEA nuke-free zone treaty: Mohamad

China will sign the Protocol to the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) as soon as all documentation is ready, said Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan.

“China made a commitment to ensure that it will sign the treaty without reservation. That’s something very good for Asean,” he said.

Mohamad spoke to reporters after attending the Asean Post-Ministerial Conference with several countries, including China, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, held in conjunction with the 58th Asean foreign ministers’ meeting and related meetings on Thursday.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi led his delegation to the high-level meeting held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Commenting further on his discussion with China’s top diplomat during the session, Mohamad said there remains ample room for Malaysia to enhance and strengthen both its bilateral and multilateral relations with the country.

“The rest of the discussions were on normal bilateral and multilateral (issues), including free passage and open skies in the South China Sea, respect for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“So everything is normal and we look forward to a better cooperation between Asean and China,” he said.

On July 2, Mohamad was reported as saying that China and Russia had indicated readiness to sign the protocol, while the United States was still reviewing the treaty.

The SEANWFZ Treaty, also known as the Bangkok Treaty, was signed in December 1995 in Bangkok by Asean member states as a commitment to preserve Southeast Asia as a region free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

It came into force in March 1997.

SEANWFZ is one of five Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones in the world. The other four are located in Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Africa, and Central Asia.

- Bernama

US state secretary in M'sia for Asean talks, to meet Russian counterpart

Asean centrality must remain region's North Star, Anwar says

US secretary of state to visit M'sia for Asean meetings

Japan stands with Asean on Myanmar, looks to deepen regional cooperation

COMMENT | Balancing M'sia's geopolitical role in volatile world

M'sia scores poorly on education rights, lags behind neighbours