Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in China on Saturday for a two-day visit to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, marking his first trip to the country in seven years.

PM Modi is set to join leaders from the 10-member SCO bloc for the annual summit on August 31 and September 1. His bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday is also expected to be closely watched, given the recent thaw in India-China ties.

Apart from this, PM Modi will also hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 1.

The visit comes against a backdrop of friction with Washington, after the Trump administration imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports, with additional tariffs imposed due to the purchase of Russian oil. While ties with the US remain strategically important, New Delhi sees value in keeping channels with Beijing open to diversify its options.

A day earlier, PM Modi, who was in Japan, said, "Given the current volatility in the world economy, it is also important for India and China, as two major economies, to work together to bring stability to the world economic order."