China agrees to Southeast Asia nuclear ban amid US tariff tensions

The confirmation came during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, where Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said Beijing had committed to signing the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) treaty.

"China made a commitment to ensure that they will sign the treaty without reservation," Hasan told reporters, adding that the formal signing would proceed once all required documentation is finalized. The SEANWFZ treaty, in effect since 1997, limits nuclear activity in the region to peaceful purposes such as energy generation.

According to Al Jazeera, ASEAN has repeatedly urged the five recognized nuclear powers -- China, the US, Russia, France, and the UK -- to sign the agreement and uphold the region's non-nuclear status, including within its exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.

The development comes as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Asia for the first time since assuming office. Rubio arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday under the shadow of US President Donald Trump's aggressive trade strategy, which includes steep tariffs on several ASEAN countries, Al Jazeera reported.

Trump's tariffs -- set to take effect on August 1 -- include a 25 percent duty on Malaysia, 32 percent on Indonesia, 36 percent on Cambodia and Thailand, and 40 percent on Laos and Myanmar. Japan and South Korea, key US allies in the region, face 25 percent tariffs, while Australia faces the possibility of a 200 percent duty on pharmaceutical exports to the US.

Only Vietnam and the UK have managed to strike separate trade deals with the US. According to Trump, the US will impose a reduced 20 percent tariff on many Vietnamese exports and allow zero percent duty for US products going into Vietnam. "Any transshipments from third countries through Vietnam will face a 40 percent levy," Trump said while announcing the agreement on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported.

Reporting from Kuala Lumpur, Al Jazeera's Rob McBride said, "The ASEAN countries are facing some of the highest tariffs from the Trump administration. They were also among the first to receive new letters announcing yet another delay in the imposition of these tariffs, now pushed to 1 August."

McBride added that the uncertainty has driven ASEAN nations to seek stronger trade ties with alternative partners, most notably China. "These tariffs have provided an impetus for all of these ASEAN nations to seek out closer trade links with other parts of the world," he said.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is also in Kuala Lumpur for discussions with ASEAN leaders, reflecting Beijing's increasing diplomatic engagement in the region. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also holding talks in Malaysia, promoting Moscow's vision of a "multipolar world order," Al Jazeera reported.

"Lavrov might be shunned in other parts of the world," McBride noted, "but he is here in Malaysia, meeting with ASEAN members and promoting this alternative global structure."

At the same time, Rubio is expected to push back against that narrative. "Many ASEAN members are traditional allies of the United States," McBride said. "But they are somewhat nervous about the tariffs and recent US foreign policy moves. Rubio is here to reassure them that all is well in trans-Pacific relations."

As the geopolitical contest for influence intensifies, Al Jazeera observed that ASEAN finds itself at the center of strategic courtship from major global powers, holding the potential to shape future international alignments.

Rubio's visit signals Washington's intention to reassert its focus on the Asia-Pacific after years of prioritizing crises in Europe and the Middle East. His last high-level interaction with Russian officials took place in Saudi Arabia in February as part of efforts to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war, Al Jazeera reported.

Analysts suggest Rubio's main challenge will be restoring confidence among Southeast Asian nations rattled by US trade policies. Despite economic tensions, he is expected to position the US as a more reliable partner than China in matters of long-term investment and regional security.

ASEAN, for its part, continues to play a leading diplomatic role in addressing regional crises, including efforts to resolve the prolonged civil war in Myanmar that began with a military coup in 2021. (ANI)