Southeast Asian foreign ministers gathered Sunday for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc's new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

LANGKAWI, Malaysia (Reuters) - The regional bloc ASEAN and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny "milestone issues", including its scope and if it can be legally binding, the Philippines' top diplomat said on Saturday.

The Chinese military conducted joint sea-air combat readiness patrols in the South China Sea from Friday to Saturday to maintain peace and stability in the area, according to a statement by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers hold a closed-doors retreat in Malaysia on Sunday, as the country hosts its first meeting as chair of the regional bloc ASEAN amid an intensifying civil war in Myanmar and confrontations in the South China Sea.

LANGKAWI: The ongoing Myanmar crisis and tensions in the South China Sea will feature in the discussions at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Retreat here during the weekend, says Malaysian Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin.

LANGKAWI, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- ASEAN Foreign Ministers welcomed the progress made in the negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea and emphasised the importance of sustaining momentum to expedite the process.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers convened in Malaysia to address Myanmar's civil war and South China Sea tensions. Despite internal challenges, ASEAN fosters unity and economic integration amid global uncertainties.

Malaysia is committed to addressing regional issues, but expectations on Myanmar and the advancing of talks on a code of conduct between the 10-member Association of

Retreat under Malaysia’s chairmanship concluded here today with an advice to Myanmar, a progress evaluation of the

he ongoing Myanmar crisis and tensions in the South China Sea will feature in the discussions at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Langkawi, Malaysia over the weekend, says Malaysian Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin.

The ongoing Myanmar crisis and tensions in the South China Sea will feature in the discussions at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' (AMM) Retreat here at the weekend, according to Malaysian Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin.

A United States nuclear-powered aircraft carrier conducted a war game with ally the Philippines in the contested South China Sea last week while China carried out "combat-readiness" patrols.