A unit of digital group Sea has first right of refusal to publish online games from Internet giant Tencent in Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.

The five-year arrangement announced yesterday builds on a longstanding strategic partnership between the Chinese company and the unit - Garena.

Garena already publishes a number of the most successful games from Tencent's portfolio, including Arena of Valor and League of Legends.

The two companies said they will identify opportunities to distribute and promote top titles from Tencent's portfolio in the relevant markets.

Sea chairman and group chief executive Forrest Li said: "Tencent is a global leader in the video games industry, with a portfolio that includes some of the world's most popular and engaging titles.

"This arrangement further solidifies our strategic partnership with Tencent to bring top quality IP (intellectual property) to the large and growing games community in our region."

Sea is headquartered in Singapore and listed in New York.

Tencent president Martin Lau added: "Garena operates across some of the fastest-growing markets globally, and has a deep understanding of the dynamics in these regions.

"Our long-term partnership and collaborations with Garena on key titles have been successful, and we are glad to further deepen our strategic partnership through this arrangement."