New Delhi, Aug. 8 -- China on Friday welcomed the planned visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Tianjin summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is set to be held later this month.

PM Modi is expected to visit China for the first time in seven years to attend the annual SCO Summit, scheduled to be held on August 31, according to sources quoted by news agency PTI.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, in an interaction with the press, said China welcomes Prime Minister Modi for the SCO Tianjin Summit.

"We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results, and the SCO will enter a new stage of high-quality development...