Long to-do list for Truss in busy start

Diplomatic relations

He said that Truss also has to improve relations with the European Union. A major issue is the Northern Ireland Protocol, a deal agreed by the UK and the EU to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods. But the arrangement has led to checks on goods crossing from the British mainland to Northern Ireland, creating a barrier to trade within the UK.

"To solve these problems, the prime minister needs to have courage and wisdom," he said.

Truss would also inherit many of Johnson's foreign policies, such as supporting Ukraine, he added.

During campaigning for the Conservative Party leadership, Truss made some provocative remarks toward China, but Tian hopes that attitude will not persist as she takes office.

China has become the largest source of goods imported by the UK and an important importer of the UK's trade in services, he said.

"Adopting a hostile attitude would damage the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and is not in the interest of the UK at all," he said.

Wang Yiwei, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, said China and the UK should try their best to avoid political and ideological disagreements and carry out practical cooperation in areas such as education, healthcare, insurance, financial services, and climate change.

Agencies contributed to this story.