NEW DELHI, Sept. 19 -- As Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his state visit to India on Friday, the two Asian giants have ushered in a new era in the development of bilateral relations.

During Xi's three-day stay in the South Asian country, the two largest developing countries and most populous nations of the world pledged to forge a closer partnership.

Their commitment to regional and global peace as well as common development and prosperity will bring real benefit not only to their combined 2.5 billion people, but also to those living beyond their borders.

TWIN ANCHORS OF PEACE

Xi arrived in India on Wednesday for his first trip to the southern neighbor since he took office in March 2013, which was also the first state visit in eight years by a Chinese president to the country.

On the border issue, a topic constantly hyped by Western media and politicians, Xi suggested that the two sides properly manage their disputes and jointly maintain border tranquility while seeking via friendly consultations a fair and reasonable solution both can accept.

"We should not let the border issue affect our bilateral relations," stressed the Chinese president.

For his part, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country is willing to work with China to advance negotiations in this regard and find a solution at an early date.

He reiterated that Tibet is an integral part of China and that India will not allow Tibetans to conduct anti-China political activities on its soil.

Meanwhile, Xi voiced China's support for India to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), an increasingly significant regional cooperation mechanism.

China and India should be "twin anchors" of regional peace so as to build an Asia-Pacific security architecture that is open, transparent, inclusive and based on equality, said the Chinese president.

"When China and India join hands for cooperation, it will benefit not only the two countries but also the entire Asia and the world at large," said Xi when delivering a speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs.

He said China-India relations have gone well beyond the bilateral scope and have assumed broad regional and global significance as the two countries have become two major forces in the world's multi-polarization process.

The two Asian neighbors, he proposed, should become global partners for strategic coordination and jointly strive for a just and equitable international order.

"China and India have a combined population of over 2.5 billion," he said. "If we speak with one voice, the whole world will listen, and if we join hands, the whole world will pay attention."

"EXPRESS TRAINS" OF DEVELOPMENT

China is India's largest trading partner, while India is China's biggest in South Asia, with two-way trade totaling about 65.5 billion U.S. dollars last year.

The two countries have set a target of increasing their annual bilateral trade volume to 100 billion dollars by 2015, and China announced Friday that it will try to increase its investment in Indian industrial and infrastructure projects to 20 billion U.S. dollars in the next five years.

During his visit, Xi said China and India should be "express trains" driving regional economic integration and connectivity.

China and India should become closer partners while pursuing their national development, Xi said, adding that the two nations, as robust engines driving Asian and global economic growth, should share experience and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

To that end, China has proposed the initiatives of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to strengthen trade and political relations of countries along the historical trade routes.

Specifically, Xi pledged that China will import more Indian pharmaceuticals and agricultural products in a bid to balance bilateral trade.

China will also establish two industrial parks in the western Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra that produce power transmission equipment and auto parts respectively.

Besides, China will help India lift its train speed, upgrade its railway stations, overhaul its high-speed railway network, and launch training programs in heavy-haul transportation.

To facilitate Indian pilgrims' visit to Tibet, China also will open a new route via the Himalayan Nathu La Pass, linking Tibet's Xigaze Prefecture and India's Sikkim State.

In addition, China plans to provide South Asia with 10,000 scholarships and 5,000 training opportunities and help train 5,000 Chinese language teachers for the region in the next five years.

Beijing, Xi said, is ready to work together with New Delhi to make even greater contribution to regional development, "so that the 3 billion people living on both sides of the Himalayas will enjoy peace, friendship, stability and prosperity."

Considering their will, wisdom and capacity, it is without doubt that China and India, blessed with a long history of good-neighborly exchanges and sharing enormous common interests, will forge a more robust partnership in their joint pursuit of peace and development.