New UK leader needs to be pragmatic rather than further souring ties with China

Liz Truss, the United Kingdom's next prime minister, will have to hit the ground running, as the country faces myriad challenges due to the changing geopolitical landscape and previous governance failures.

The most pressing issues are the UK's ailing economy and cost of living crisis, which have been exacerbated by skyrocketing inflation and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Inflation is forecast to almost double to 18.6 percent by the beginning of next year, while prohibitively high energy bills risk causing a humanitarian crisis as winter approaches.

The latest indication of the UK's economic woes is its declining economic power globally. According to the latest gross domestic product figures from the International Monetary Fund, India has overtaken the UK to be the world's fifth-largest economy.