This week in Australian foreign affairs: Morrison acknowledges Samoa’s new Government, Payne attends the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Ley welcomes the World Heritage Committee’s rejection of the proposed UNESCO “In Danger” listing for the Great Barrier Reef, and more.

Social media firms, as private actors, are not subject to the First Amendment. The extraordinary power of private companies to censor political speech, and the danger that government officials will enlist private firms to censor political opponents are serious social concerns.

A litmus test is at hand of just how far domestic politics and vague national security “threats” now drive Australian government decision-making towards China. The test involves the Chinese company, Landbridge, and its lease to operate the Port of Darwin.