Treaty of Bangkok [Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ)]

Treaty of Bangkok [Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ)]

Summary:

Members of ASEAN established a Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) as a component of ASEAN's 1971 Declaration on a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN). On 16 December 1995, the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) was signed in Bangkok.

For more in-depth information, please consult the Inventory of Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes, which can be found on the CNS website at: http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/.

China and the Treaty of Bangkok:

Initially, China stated its support for the Treaty of Bangkok, but did not signed the protocol on security assurances to the Treaty's signatories. For years, China stated its objection to the fact that the geographical scope of the zone includes portions of the South China Sea, which China claims as its territorial waters. On 7 December 1995, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Chen Jian stated that "China has enjoyed long-term friendship and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries so in principle we support the establishment of an East Asian nuclear-free area." Chen further stated, however, that "As for whether the geographical area of this nuclear-free area includes the continental shelf or exclusive economic zones, China and other countries have their own positions." [Kyodo (Tokyo), 7 December 1995, in "Spokesman Assesses Support For Southeast Asian Nuclear Free Zone," FBIS-TAC-95-007, 7 December 1995.]

However, China changed its position on the SEANFZ in 1999. In July 1999 at the annual ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting in Singapore, China's Foreign Minister announced that China would sign the protocol to the Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty (SEANFZ). China is the first declared nuclear weapon state to sign the protocols to this treaty.

[TEXT OF TREATY OF BANGKOK]

This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by MIIS.