Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering 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.

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.

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.

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.

Talks between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China to crack down on online scams need detail as the proposal from Beijing was still in an early stage, Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said on Saturday.

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) discussed developments in the South China Sea (SCS), Myanmar and the Middle East during a retreat in Langkawi, Malaysia on Sunday.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers met 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

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.

Beijing has offered closer security cooperation with Southeast Asian countries to combat scam syndicates operated by Chinese nationals in the region.

LANGKAWI: Asean’s 10 member states will join forces with China to combat transnational crime, including online scam syndicates that have victimised thousands in the region, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

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