India, Sept. 12 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping began their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, as the two countries seek to build on recent efforts to ease tensions and put ties back on a more stable footing.

Xi's visit to India, his first in seven years, comes against the backdrop of the prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and continuing efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to address outstanding border issues.

The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for the two leaders to assess progress in disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC and review the broader trajectory of India-China relations.

India and China have been...