The world should expect that Syria will continue to use its remaining chemical weapons against its populace, whenever it chooses and with relative impunity.

Trump has set the boundaries back to what they have traditionally been, and put Russia and Iran on notice that Washington's patience has run out.

The challenges are tectonic and technological. When and if they are spent, they will leave us with a new world beyond the realms of current-day perception. Four such disruptive developments are most noteworthy.

Russian cooperation which builds Chinese military capabilities is more important and more detrimental to Western interests than any grand rhetoric coming out of officials’ mouths.

China would feel more assured if Xi’s American host would repeat his support for the One China policy.

The issues Trump and Xi do not discuss may be as telling as those they do.

If Moon Jae-in wins the Blue House, his stance on THAAD will be a good indicator of how much influence China can have over South Korea’s foreign policy.

The US Department of Homeland Security has begun fingerprinting and photographing refugees on Manus Island as part of the US-Australia refugee deal.

The core of any effort to improve the treatment of refugees, whether in the context of the Global Compacts or otherwise, must be protection.

North Korea is thus using ballistic missiles as a form of diplomatic semaphore, in keeping with long-standing habits.

This week the Lowy Institute launched its latest Penguin Special, 'A Wary Embrace'. The author, Dr Bobo Lo, sat down with me to talk about future China-Russia relations.

This week's links include the retirement of PNG's father of independence, a defence of Australia's seasonal workers program, and milestones in weight-lifting and athletics.

The only response that will matter to Assad is that which comes from Moscow and Tehran.

In a world of growing complexity and uncertainty, the Russo-Chinese relationship is not sufficiently robust to serve as a stabilising force.

S&P's ranking of Indonesia is out of line with other similar countries that have investment-grade status including India, the Philippines and South Africa.

Lam’s relative unpopularity means she will face a tough road ahead the moment she is sworn in on 1 July, also the 20th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China.

Asian strategic regionalism may prove to be more adaptable to Trump’s ‘America First’ model than NATO's more collective form of security.

The tragedy of the Park Geun-hye scandal and impeachment in South Korea should not obfuscate the larger forces that are driving Korean politics.

It's worth considering how successful Assad’s ‘wait it out’ strategy has been by examining the fate of some of the world leaders who have called for his removal over the years.

Many Russians know that most Chinese know that in the 1860s, tsarist Russia acquired 1.4 million square kilometres of Chinese territory.

Economic reform and terrorism - not human rights - will be on the agenda when Trump meets Sisi in DC.

What exactly did the Turnbull government imagine was worth the compromises that would have accompanied consent to the treaty?

Given Russia's struggling economy, underlying dissent is unlikely to fade away in the long-term.

A third-party intervention serves to keeps the Hague award alive, by internationalising it.

Intelligence organisations cannot assume their job is done once a report is delivered but should instead seek to add value through expertise, focus, and access.

Deceptive appearances in UK politics, why Putin needs to change tack to ward off Russian dissent, and how Li Keqiang's visit went down with the Chinese media.

The skills these individuals pick up in Western countries help to plug gaps created by well-known shortcomings in China’s education system and corporate culture.

Sturgeon has sought a second poll for Scotland, and the idea of Ireland reuniting has been raised again – but none of this is quite as it seems.

The shift in the country’s political iconography that began under President Thein Sein in 2011 has picked up pace since Aung San Suu Kyi took power.

Even if the C919 is a flop on the foreign market, don't count on China to give up. There is already work being done on a China-Russia joint venture to build an even larger jet in the Boeing 777 class.

If Trump can’t get a handle on Washington’s politics – not least the requirement to work with Congress – US foreign policy will suffer.

Italy's new Zampa law, South Sudan refugee count and US sanctuary cities square up for a fight with the Trump administration.

How a preschool scandal could curtail Shinzo Abe's ambitions.

The division of responsibility between immigration and employment departments may generate discrepancies.

Determining the facts in operational incidents takes military experience and time.

Storm activity in the Pacific, Australia rebuffs PNG on aid request, drone deliveries and more.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is right to focus attention on the southern Philippines, even if the likelihood of a ‘caliphate’ emerging on Australia’s doorstep is low.

China's message for an international audience is that it now dominates the region and all should behave accordingly.

Turkey's president Recep Erdogan wants to position the EU as the new (imagined) enemy of the nation

Some states are likely to be cast in the role as perpetual host, while others can basically buy their way out by being a distant supporter.

The more heavily populated areas are either under Syrian government or Islamist opposition control who won't be parties to ceasefires that aren't to their advantage.

There are other, more reliable ways of signalling US commitment to the region.

The drastic infrastructure deficiency can be viewed as an opportunity.

Is it more effective to appeal to the national interest or to ethics when discussing aid with the public?

Social media networks have long abrogated their responsibilities on content control, and governments have started to notice.

Forcibly returning unwanted migrants is not only intuitively unpleasant, it is also one of the most difficult areas in the immigration policies of liberal states.

China’s policy circles view Australia’s situation with a degree of realist scepticism.

The 2017 presidential election is already the biggest political rollercoaster since the birth of the Fifth Republic in 1958.

Why Japan and Taiwan should strengthen ties, what Merkel can offer Trump, the role of values in Australian foreign policy and more.

The London attack represents a continuation of existing trends; it does not mark a significant change in the current UK threat picture.