Chinese foreign minister Wang, Ajit Doval set to hold border talks in New Delhi on August 18

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi is expected to hold talks with NSA Ajit Doval here on August 18 as part of special representative mechanism on boundary matters and broader ties, including geopolitical developments, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit to China for the SCO summit from August 31 to September 1.

Wang's visit is being planned in the backdrop of a low phase in India-US ties following the US president's tariff war. Doval and Wang Yi last met when the former travelled to China for the SCO NSA meet in June.

China on Friday welcomed Modi's planned visit to the Tianjin summit, expressing hope that the event would be a "gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results".

"China welcomes Prime Minister Modi to China for the SCO Tianjin summit," foreign ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in Beijing while responding to a question on reports about Modi's visit to China to attend the 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 SCO will enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring greater solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness," Guo said.

"The summit will be the largest in scale since the establishment of SCO," Guo said.