LONDON, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- China and Britain should join hands to support free trade and take the lead in Asia-Europe cooperation so as to make greater contribution to global development and prosperity, Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said.

Liu, in a recent signed article published by Asia House Insights, a journal of the renowned British think tank Asia House, said that the mutually beneficial cooperation among a Britain outside the EU and Asian countries, including China, will enjoy a promising future.

He expected China and Britain to join hands to "safeguard the rule-based international trade system and take the lead in Asia-Europe cooperation."

To build a "global Britain", the British government has launched a new export strategy, announcing that it will top G7 in the percentage of exports to GDP and regard Asia as an important part of this strategy.

Liu said in the article, entitled "Openness and Cooperation is the Only Road Leading to Prosperity and Development in Asia and the World", that China and Britain should match development strategies.

The senior diplomat stressed the importance of openness in his article, saying that the world economy needs to be open but surging protectionism and unilateralism and looming trade war have been a cause for grave concern.

"Under this circumstance, China stays committed to upholding the multilateral trade regime with WTO as its core, opposing protectionism of all forms, supporting the role of G20, APEC and BRICS and promoting more fair and reasonable reforms in the international trade system," he said.

"China never seeks development at the expense of other countries," Liu added.

The ambassador said that China always believes that in China-U.S. relations, cooperation serves the interests of both and conflict neither.

"Sound and steady development of trade and economic relationship is in the interests of the people of both countries, and meets the common aspiration of the international community," Liu said.

Asia, with its economic dynamism and potential, has been an important engine for world economic growth. China is an important part of this "Asia miracle".

Liu said that with China becoming the largest trading partner of 16 Asian countries, the interests of China and Asia are increasingly integrated and the future of China and Asia are ever more closely shared.

"The development of China and the rest of Asia is a story of how openness brings progress, and openness and cooperation is the only road leading to prosperity," he stressed.