After a gap of over seven years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in China on Saturday evening on a keenly watched visit that assumed greater significance in view of a sudden downturn in India-US ties triggered by Washington`s policies on trade and tariff.

Modi is visiting this northern Chinese city primarily to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on August 31 and September 1.

However, his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday on the margins of the summit has assumed greater significance in the face of Washington`s tariff tussle that has impacted almost all leading economies across the world.