VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — Southeast Asian leaders gathered in the capital of Laos on Wednesday for an annual regional forum that will focus on tackling the prolonged civil war in Myanmar and territorial tensions in the South China Sea, two key challenges that have long tested the bloc's credibility.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will represent the United States at the Association of Southeast Nations summits in Laos this week and expects to discuss human rights in Myanmar, China's "irresponsible" behavior in the South China Sea and Ukraine,

ASEAN summit in Laos addresses Myanmar civil war and South China Sea tensions, with global powers in attendance.

Southeast Asian leaders will meet in Laos this week as Myanmar's civil war and mounting tensions in the South China Sea risk corroding the ASEAN grouping's central role in the region. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has,

Blinken, who departs for Vientiane on Tuesday, is expected