Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visits the Netherlands and attends the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Belgium, Brexit talks are set to top the agenda of another EU summit, a buffer zone is due to come into force in northern Syria's Idlib, and Afghans go to the polls in the delayed House of People election.

As the US trend towards unilateralism continues, Asian and European leaders will gather in Brussels this week for the 12th ASEM summit. Premier Li Keqiang will represent China at the event, the largest Eurasian inter-governmental high-level forum, and is expected to propose initiatives for Asia-Europe cooperation and call on all sides to intensify their partnerships. Li's visit to Belgium comes after a trip to the Netherlands earlier in the week.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is scheduled to pay an official visit to China from October 25 to 27, will also attend the summit.

It is Li's second tour to Europe in three months. The Chinese premier visited Bulgaria and Germany from July 5 to 10. In Bulgarian capital Sofia, he attended the seventh meeting of heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC). 

With Britain and the EU edging closer to a Brexit deal, this week's summit in Brussels is the crunchiest of crunch gatherings. Leaders of the EU27 – all but the UK – will meet a day ahead of the official summit to agree on a common approach before meeting British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday. Even if Britain and the EU reach an agreement, the process still has many obstacles before the March 2019 Brexit deadline – not least that it has to be approved by the deeply-divided British parliament. 

Monday is the deadline set by Russia and Turkey to create a demilitarized buffer zone in Syria's northern Idlib Province to separate the troops of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and rebel forces. The deal, reached on September 17, is intended to prevent a government assault on the rebels' last major stronghold in Syria. Turkey feared an offensive by government forces could result in another wave of refugees entering its territory. 

Although rebel fighters have reportedly withdrawn their heavy weapons from the frontlines around the province, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that there could be a two to three-day delay in activating the buffer zone. It remains to be seen whether the buffer zone will help bring an end to the Syrian war that has lasted over seven years.

Monday: The deadline for the establishment of a Russia-Turkey guarded "demilitarized zone" in Syria's Idlib Province arrives, EU member states submit budget proposals to the European Commission, and the EU Foreign Affairs Council meets in Luxembourg, 

Tuesday: Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev pays an official visit to Finland.

Wednesday: APEC finance ministers meet in Papua New Guinea, EU27 leaders gather in Brussels to discuss Brexit policy without British PM Theresa May, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visits Russia, and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is marked.  

Thursday: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Brussels for the two-day 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit, the one-day EU summit takes place in the same city, ASEAN defense ministers' meet in Singapore, Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Uzbekistan, and the second round of Bhutanese legislative elections is held. 

Friday: The 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit concludes in Brussels, and Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama visits Australia.

Saturday: Afghans go to the polls in the delayed House of People election.

Sunday: A quiet day in politics.