September 18, local time, President Xi Jinping held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in New Delhi. The leaders of both countries agreed to work together to build a closer partnership for development, seize the development opportunities to achieve their respective development goals, promote peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and drive the international order towards a more just and reasonable direction.

Modi again welcomed Xi Jinping to visit India and thanked Xi Jinping for his visit to his hometown Gujarat yesterday.

Xi Jinping stressed that my visit to Gujarat impressed me deeply. Prime Minister Modi has likened China and India to "two bodies with one spirit". Gujarat is a case in point. Chinese eminent monk Xuan Zang of Tang Dynasty went on a pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures in Gujarat, and then he brought the Buddhist scriptures back to China and passed the scriptures on in my hometown Xi'an of Shaanxi Province. Buddhism was spread from India to China, exerting a far-reaching influence on Chinese culture. I invite Prime Minister Modi to go and see Xi'an next time he visits China and to have a look at the place where Xuan Zang collected and translated the Buddhism scriptures. We should inherit and carry forward well the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and well advance the China-India relations.

Xi Jinping stressed that China and India are important neighbors to each other and both are major developing countries and emerging market economies. Also, they are two important forces in the process of world multi-polarization and are both in the great historical course of national rejuvenation. The international community comments that the 21st century is a century of Asia and the development of China and India is the key. The harmonious coexistence, peaceful development and cooperative development of the Chinese dragon and the Indian elephant will benefit the 2.5 billion people of both countries as well as the developing countries and will have profound influence on the region and the world. China regards India as a long-term strategic cooperative partner, and we look forward to working with the Indian side to establish a closer partnership for development and deepen bilateral cooperation at bilateral, regional and global levels. As leaders of the two countries, we should shoulder this kind of historical obligation and responsibility.

First, both sides should play the strategic leading role of the leaders of both countries, maintain high-level mutual visits and contacts and strengthen exchanges at all levels. Sincerity is the basis of mutual trust and mutual trust is the prerequisite for cooperation. We should continue to respect and care for each other's concerns and deepen political mutual trust and firmly grasp the correct strategic direction of the bilateral relations, so that cooperation will always be the main theme of the bilateral relations. In terms of the border issues, the two sides should continue to seek a fair and reasonable solution acceptable to both sides through friendly consultations. Before the final settlement of the border issues, the two sides should jointly well manage and control disputes, well safeguard peace and tranquility in border areas and prevent the border issues from affecting the development of the bilateral relations.

Second, China and India have the same development goals, similar development ideas and consistent development strategies. Both sides should further connect their development strategies, comprehensively improve the level of practical cooperation and promote cooperation in information, railway infrastructure, industrial parks, clean energy, science and technology, aerospace, finance and other areas. The Chinese side is willing to expand imports of Indian pharmaceuticals, agricultural products and other marketable products. The Chinese side is also ready to jointly plan China-India Cultural Exchange Project with the Indian side, expand exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, tourism, religion, film and television, media, human resources and other fields, train Chinese teachers for India and mutually establish cultural centers. In the next five years, we would organize 200 young people for mutual visits each year and China will participate in the 2016 Delhi Book Fair as the guest of honor.

Third, both sides should accelerate the construction of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor, conduct cooperation within the frameworks such as the Silk Road Economic Belt, the Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to promote the process of regional economic integration and connectivity. Both sides should work together to establish an open, transparent, equitable and inclusive security and cooperation framework in the Asia-Pacific region.

Fourth, both sides should strengthen strategic communication and coordination in international affairs, work together to promote democratization of international relations and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. The Chinese side is willing to continue to maintain communication with the Indian side in the United Nations, the G20, the BRICS countries and other multilateral mechanisms and strengthen cooperation in global governance and administration, sustainable development, climate change, counter-terrorism, energy and food security and other global agendas. The Chinese side welcomes and supports India to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Modi said that India and China are both ancient civilizations, with the population of the two countries accounting for one third of the world's population. Cooperation and common development between India and China not only benefit both countries and both peoples, but also make a greater contribution to peace and prosperity of Asia and the world as well as to human progress. Both he and President Xi Jinping are committed to the development and revitalization of the country and the nation and have attached great importance to the India-China relations. He is willing to make joint efforts with President Xi Jinping to promote the development of the bilateral relations. He is pleased to accept the invitation from President Xi Jinping to visit China next year. The Indian side hopes to strengthen communication and dialogues at high levels and in various fields with the Chinese side so as to turn the common interests and consensuses of both sides into more cooperation results. He reiterated that the Tibet Autonomous Region is part of the territory of the People's Republic of China. The Indian side does not allow Tibetans to engage in anti-China political activities in India. The Indian side stands ready to make joint efforts with the Chinese side to well manage and control and accelerate negotiations on the border issue so as to find a solution as early as possible. The Indian side hopes to expand exports of pharmaceutical and manufactured goods from India to China and promote the balanced growth of bilateral trade. The Indian side welcomes the Chinese side to participate in the construction of electric power as well as the upgrading and rebuilding of railway and other infrastructure in India. The Indian side will research on participating in the Chinese side's initiatives of building the BCIM Economic Corridor and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The Indian side is willing to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese side in people-to-people and cultural areas. India and China should strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs and jointly cope with terrorism, energy security, climate change and other challenges.

After the talks, Xi Jinping and Modi jointly attended the signing ceremony for bilateral cooperation documents in terms of economy and trade, finance, communication and transportation, customs, culture and other fields.

The two leaders also jointly met with journalists. Xi Jinping stressed that Prime Minister Modi and I had held fruitful talks and witnessed together the signing of a series of cooperation agreements between the two countries. We exchanged in-depth views and reached broad consensuses on various aspects of the China-India relations, especially on how to enrich the connotation and raise the level of cooperation, as well as international and regional topics of common interest.

Xi Jinping pointed out, both China and India are countries of great influence on the world. Suppose China and India speak with one voice, the whole world will listen. I firmly believe as long as we continuously draw wisdom out of the two great ancient civilizations, show sufficient foresight, courage and insight and breadth of mind, the China-India strategic cooperative partnership will see constant new progress. And this will bring more benefit to the two peoples and make new and greater contribution to promoting the prosperity and revitalization of Asia and the stability and development of the world.

Modi expressed that China is the largest neighbor of India and they stand as the two largest developing countries. Under the current situation, the bilateral relations are of great significance and face broad opportunities for development. President Xi Jinping's visit to India has opened a new historical chapter for the India-China relations. The Indian side is willing to work with the Chinese side to further mutual trust and continuously strengthen the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership.

Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu and Yang Jiechi attended the above events.