Is China really ready to back a nuclear arms-free Southeast Asia?

A senior Chinese official says Beijing is prepared to back Asean’s 25-year-old treaty on the weapons

But this is not the first time this has happened and could be part of a bigger power play, observers say

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China is one of a handful of states with nuclear weapons. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:54pm, 16 Dec 2020Updated: 10:47pm, 16 Dec 2020

China has signalled that it is ready to work with its neighbours to create a nuclear weapons-free zone in Southeast Asia, after more than two decades of objections to a regional agreement.

But observers said the move was part of China’s growing rivalry with the United States and an attempt to expand its influence in the region.

The agreement, the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty, was signed by the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) 25 years ago to establish an area in the region free of nuclear weapons and to bolster its neutrality in great-power competition.

Nuclear powers like China and the United States are free to sign a protocol to not violate the treaty but so far none of them have, largely because of differences over security assurances and the definitions of territory, much of which involves the disputed South China Sea.

In the past, Beijing has said it disagrees with the geographic delimitation of the zone but is willing to continue talks with Asean.

On Wednesday, Fu Cong, director of the Chinese foreign ministry’s arms control department, said Beijing was prepared to endorse the protocol.

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