One of Theresa May's first acts as prime minister was to make Boris Johnson the new foreign secretary. This appointment has taken many by surprise. Not long ago, Johnson's ambition to be prime minister was thwarted following the Brexit referendum in which he was the leading campaigner for the leave vote.

Though Johnson is a high-profile politician whose fame has spread beyond his own country, he is not without controversy. Throughout his career as a Conservative MP and London mayor, he has usually been seen as a maverick, quite different from an archetypal politician. His many faux-pas, including his insinuation that US President Barack Obama's anti-Brexit comments were due to his Kenyan ancestry, have been seen as undiplomatic at best.

However, for the new Conservative leadership, appointing Johnson as foreign secretary is a bold but sensible move. Above anything else, Johnson is still popular among grass-roots Conservative Party members and putting him in the cabinet will placate the grass-roots, as well as the hardline Brexiteer faction.

In addition, it is important to bear in mind that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Johnson now heads is not as powerful a department as it used to be. Its responsibilities have been greatly watered down under the new government.

The dominant issue of British foreign policy for at least the next five years, that is to arrange Britain's departure from the European Union, will become the responsibility of the newly established Department for Exiting the European Union under the leadership of another Brexiteer David Davis.

Another of Prime Minister May's novel creations is the Department for International Trade overseen by Liam Fox, the purview of which is promoting British trade across the world and ensuring that the UK takes advantage of business opportunities. Hence, what would have been two core FCO tasks have been stripped away from it.

So it's likely that under May, the FCO will largely dedicate itself to promoting British interests overseas, which makes it the perfect place for Johnson.

He ended his tenure as the mayor of London with high popularity but a lackluster practical legacy. However, there is no denying that under his watch, London strengthened its image as a true world city, a reputation which Johnson himself played an important role in selling and promoting.

He proved himself to be an excellent salesman on his many world tours promoting London and this talent will be crucial in his new role as foreign secretary. It is expected that the UK will become more liberal in trade and investment after Brexit and will sign many bilateral trade agreements with countries around the world.

This approach is in line with Johnson's economic liberal stance and he will likely take advantage of his experience to play a part in promoting business ties between UK and its partners. 

In addition, he will tap into his charisma and charm while serving as the new face of British foreign policy. The Brexit vote has not only led Britain's future into uncertainty but also bruised its image as an open and liberal nation, manifesting the split between rich and poor, elites and grassroots. A cheerful and light-hearted figure like Johnson serving as Britain's face to the world after the referendum will at least be spirit-lifting and reduce the anxiety that surrounds the UK.

Previously, many of Johnson's views on foreign policy as expressed in his columns are very unorthodox compared with other Western politicians. He suggested once that the West should seek an alliance with Putin to bring peace to Syria and he applauded Syrian government forces in strengthening their position. We will wait and see if these "fresh" ideas on foreign affairs that he once claimed to hold will be translated into any changes in British foreign policy thinking.

However, even if he would like to make big changes, it is not a good time now. In the next few years, the focus of the UK's foreign affairs will inevitably be arranging the difficult exit from the EU and assuring its allies and partners that the UK still has a sound strategic and economic future.

Under this context, it is simply unrealistic to expect Britain to exert any considerable influence in global or even regional affairs.

The author is an assistant research fellow at the Department for European Studies, China Institute of International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn