China will sign up to a Southeast Asian treaty banning nuclear weapons in the region as soon as all documentation is ready, Malaysia's foreign minister said on Thursday.

The United States’ approval of Malaysia ’s purchase of dozens of fighter jets is set to bolster the Southeast Asian country’s air capabilities – especially in the South China Sea – as part of a strategy to “quietly” build deterrence while also preserving cordial ties with China.

China and Malaysia will implement a mutual visa-free policy agreement from July 17, according to a CCTV report.

China has been a fierce critic of sweeping U.S. tariffs that Trump announced on April 2. He later delayed the implementation of most but China, which has said it will respond with its own tariffs on U.S. imports, now faces a deadline next month to negotiate a deal.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed Friday to explore "areas of potential cooperation" between Washington and Beijing, and stressed the importance of managing differences,

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting. The United States and China disagree on various issues, including trade, Taiwan and Russia's war in Ukraine.

Malaysia's role as a key node in the global semiconductor supply chain is drawing sharper scrutiny as it deepens industrial ties with China while facing mounting trade and export control pressures from the United States.

Speaking from Malaysia, the Foreign Minister said China’s attempts to increase its influence in Australia’s backyard “is clear”.