Editing Nuclear proliferation (section)

===Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons===
{{Main|Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons}}

At present, 189 countries are States Parties to the ''Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons'', more commonly known as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT. These include the five Nuclear Weapons States (NWS) recognized by the NPT: the [[People's Republic of China]], [[France]], [[Russian Federation]], the [[United Kingdom|UK]], and the [[United States]].

Notable non-signatories to the NPT are Israel, Pakistan, and India (the latter two have since tested nuclear weapons, while Israel is considered by most to be an unacknowledged nuclear weapons state). North Korea was once a signatory but withdrew in January 2003. The legality of North Korea's withdrawal is debatable but as of 9 October 2006, North Korea clearly possesses the capability to make a nuclear explosive device.