ISTANBUL

China on Thursday extended its "firm support" to a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Southeast Asian region.

"As a comprehensive strategic partner and a friendly neighbor of ASEAN, China firmly supports establishing a Southeast Asia nuclear weapon-free zone," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said during a news conference in Beijing.

ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a grouping of regional nations, and Malaysia is the current chair of the bloc.

Beijing's reaction comes after Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said Wednesday that China and Russia have agreed to sign the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ), while the US was reviewing it before signing, according to Bernama News.

Beijing expressed its willingness "to take the lead in signing the protocol to the treaty" more than once, said the ministry spokeswoman.

China stands ready to "stay in communication with ASEAN countries on this matter," added Mao.

“We have established Southeast Asia as a peaceful region, and next week, the foreign ministers (of relevant countries) will meet,” Mohamad said during Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s engagement session with the Malaysian diaspora in Rome on Tuesday.

Malaysia will host ASEAN top diplomats next week when they are expected to hold a bloc-level meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The treaty's protocol requires nuclear weapon states to respect the treaty and not contribute to any act in violation of it and its protocols, to not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against the states in and within the zone.

Established in 1967, ASEAN is an international intergovernmental organization comprising Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Malaysia took the ASEAN rotating chairmanship in 2025 for the fifth time, following its previous terms in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.