MADRID, July 27 (Xinhua) -- China is firm in respecting and maintaining the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and is a dynamic participant, strong defender and important contributor to the multilateral trade regime, Chinese Ambassador to Spain Lyu Fan said.

China has always practiced free trade, fulfilling the related commitments and opening the market to a large extent since it joined the WTO, the ambassador said in a recent interview with Spanish newspaper "Expansion" titled "Nobody will be the winner of a trade war."

"We implement the strategy of openness based on mutual benefit and win-win and, in achieving our own development, we make efforts so that this development benefits other countries and peoples, contributing a third to the economic growth of the world," he said.

"This is the historical option chosen by China following the trend in world development," he added.

The ambassador said Spain and other countries are weclome to attend the the China International Import Expo (CIIE), which will be held in Shanghai from Nov. 5 to 10. The event, he said, as an open cooperation platform, is expected to help countries to access the Chinese market and international trade.

On the U.S.-initiated trade frictions with China, he said, "what the U.S. does is trampling the fundamental spirit of international law and the principles of international trade."

"This challenges multilateralism and free trade and will cause the world economy to fall into the traps of a cold war, decline, anti-contract and uncertainty," he added.

"We do not want a trade war, but we are not afraid of it. Nobody will be the winner of a trade war, which can hardly be sustained," said the ambassador.