It is no exaggeration to say that 2006 has been the year of nuclear crises. Iran resumed its uranium enrichment program in January and North Korea conducted nuclear tests in October. A nuclear crisis is an important security issue that interferes with world harmony both in the moment of crisis and in the future. Resolving a nuclear crisis is now a common problem for the international community.

On January 10, 2006, Iran resumed its uranium enrichment program after suspending it two and a half years ago. Almost a year later, Iran is making progress in uranium enrichment. Five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany are promoting a Security Council resolution on the Iranian nuclear issue. In East Asia, on October 9, North Korea announced that it had successfully conducted a nuclear test. On October 14, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1718 demanding that North Korea unconditionally abandon plans to nuclearize.

The international community is currently making unremitting efforts to resolve the crisis and maintain the effectiveness of the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. However, recent events show that when any one country decides to break the treaty, the international community can do little to reverse or even influence this decision. More seriously, the disregard some countries show for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty may aggravate regional tension, prompting other countries to nuclearize and resulting in the near collapse of the treaty. Such imprudent actions indicate that these countries are not fully aware of the seriousness of the nuclear issue.

This has happened largely because of power politics. The main reasons for the nuclear crises are the hegemonic aspirations of some nations and the interventionism and double standards they practice.

After the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration threw out Clinton's foreign policy. The Bush government openly named Afghanistan, Iraq, North Korea and Iran as evil countries. The US launched wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to overthrow the government while Iran and North Korea remain potential military targets. In the meantime, the US has imposed economic sanctions on North Korea and Iran, readjusted military deployment and consolidated military reconnaissance and military plans in Iran and North Korea. It hopes these nations will bow to political pressure, diplomatic isolation, economic sanctions and military deterrence. However, these measures have only intensified the pressure on North Korea and Iran's security. A preferable means of dealing with the crisis would be improving the international security environment.

The two nuclear crises of 2006 have been setbacks to the Non-proliferation Treaty. Over the last 11 months, two different schools of thought have emerged on maintaining the effectiveness and authoritativeness of the Treaty.

One is a high-pressure policy from developed countries. These nations pressure and threaten until the troublesome nation is forced to come to the negotiating table. The other strategy, favored by developing countries, advocates a more peaceful return to dialogue and its aim is to get both Iran and North Korea to again uphold the Non-proliferation Treaty.

Although China believes the latter school thought is better, things are not always that simple. Those with the advantage always like to show their strength which often leads to a deadlock in the crisis.

To break the deadlock, developed countries must help developing countries deal with their military, political and economic troubles. This is the key to building a harmonious world and as well as a test of mankind's wisdom and kindness.

By People's Daily Online; The author, Wang Xinjun, is a research fellow from the Academy of Military Science