We are delighted to announce that Asia-Pacific Expert and former White House Adviser Matt Pottinger has joined Institut Montaigne as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow for the summer. He will engage in research, analysis and advocacy on strategic issues between China, Europe, Russia and the US. To mark his arrival, he penned an exclusive article which evaluates bipartisan consensus in the US on China policy and how far the US should go in competing with China. Across the pond to Downing Street, where Boris Johnson is still standing, but severely weakened after last week’s no-confidence vote. The pressure is now on for him to deliver. Johnson is not the only one standing on shaky ground. More and more warning indicators are blinking from the financial stresses in China’s economy. We assess these with, as a starting point, the real estate sector. Moving on, we introduce a new series focusing on the collateral damage from the Ukraine war beyond the West. First stop: Mexico which reacted quite uniquely to Russian aggression. Despite his idiosyncratic disdain for foreign policy, the Mexican President managed to send a clear message that his country will not merely follow the West in sanctioning Russia. We saved you the best for last: French politics. As President Macron's Ensemble! and leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon's NUPES lead first-round voting, head back to our Legislative Explainer before heading back to the polls.