China Plans to Sign Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty Protocol | Mohamad Hasan: Preparatory Work Progressing Smoothly

(United Nations, 28th) Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan pointed out that the preparation of documents for China to sign the Protocol to the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty is so far progressing smoothly.

He emphasized that signing the protocol is a lengthy process.
"The current progress is very good. We (ASEAN) warmly welcome China's previous declaration of willingness to unconditionally sign the SEANWFZ Protocol. After China indicated its stance, other countries such as the United States also began to express a desire to sign the SEANWFZ Protocol and have stopped attaching conditions or raising various issues regarding the protocol."
Mohamad Hasan said this at a press conference held at the Malaysian Permanent Mission to the United Nations office on Saturday (September 27).

Mohamad Hasan said at the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in July that China had indicated its willingness to sign the SEANWFZ Protocol "without reservation" or unconditionally.
The SEANWFZ Treaty, also known as the Bangkok Treaty, was signed in Bangkok in December 1995, jointly participated by the 10 ASEAN member countries, and officially came into effect in March 1997.
**According to the protocol appended to the treaty, each nuclear-armed country must pledge to respect the SEANWFZ Treaty, refrain from any acts that would violate the treaty and its protocol; not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against any contracting party, and not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons within the region.