Due to the huge gap in military strength between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the attitude of the stronger side -- namely, the United States -- plays a decisive role in the current nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

In this sense, the United States could be regarded as the side that should "untie the bell" since Washington's rigid policy towards Pyongyang has helped escalate the tension.

When meeting US Secretary of State Colin Powell, leaders of both China and the Republic of Korea said they would prefer direct dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, while Japan backed the multilateral approach proposed by the United States.

The favorable developments that arose on the peninsula in 2000 have been reversed due to the United States' pressing policy towards Pyongyang since George W. Bush took office as US president.

The re-emergence of the nuclear issue last October put a sudden brake on the positive developments in the reconciliation process that had just resumed in the wake of last June's naval encounter between Seoul and Pyongyang.

The trading of criticism and conflicting stances between Pyongyang and Washington has pushed the situation near to crisis point and brought the world to the brink of an abyss of uncertainty.

On Tuesday last week, Pyongyang accused Washington of continuing to "violate and misuse the armistice agreement as it pleases" and threatened to pull out of the 1953 armistice in response to mounting military pressure from and sanctional measures by Washington.

This again aroused deep concern among the international community, in particular Asian countries.

A Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons is crucial to the security and stability of Northeast Asia as well as the world.

However, Washington's rebuff of Pyongyang's repeated calls for direct talks contributes little to a peaceful solution of the issue.

As the world's only remaining superpower, the United States undoubtedly has more leverage in dealing with the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

Pyongyang needs a guarantee for its national security and the crux of the issue is whether or not the United States will give such a guarantee.

Unless Washington changes its attitude towards Pyongyang and resumes direct talks, the situation on the Korean Peninsula will remain tense.

(China Daily February 27, 2003)