China becoming a signatory to the ASEAN no-nuclear weapons treaty could persuade other nuclear powers to consider their accession, a senior Thai official said today (Thursday).

During the weekly press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Usana Berananda, Director General of the ASEAN Department, said that China is ready to sign the protocol of the 1995 Treaty of Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapons Free-Zone (SEANWFZ) without any conditions. China recently officially informed ASEAN that Beijing would be ready to accede to the SEANWFZ.

“China’s signature will be a pull factor for other nuclear powers to follow suit, which will benefit peace and security in the region,” Usana said. It will also send a strong signal to nuclear powers to move forward with nuclear disarmament.

Over the past decade, Beijing has wanted to sign the SEANWFZ, also known as the Bangkok Treaty, but the bloc preferred to have all five nuclear states sign at the same time. The others are the US, France, Russia and the United Kingdom.

China’s SEANWFZ intention will be a major topic for discussion at the 56th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, when it meets next Tuesday, under the Commission of the SEANWFZ, to consider Beijing’s request.

Treaty signatories are committed to preserving the Southeast Asian region as a region free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.