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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
World

China backs Southeast Asia nuclear ban; Rubio, Lavrov at ASEAN meeting

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio takes part in a memorandum of understanding signing with Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamad Hasan during the 58th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur on July 10, 2025 [Mandel Ngan/AFP]

China has agreed to sign a Southeast Asian treaty banning nuclear weapons, Malaysia’s and China’s foreign ministers confirmed, in a move that seeks to shield the area from rising global security tensions amid the threat of imminent United States tariffs.

The pledge from Beijing was welcomed as diplomats on Thursday gathered for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers’ meeting, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also due to meet regional counterparts and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

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