The leaders of Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to meet to negotiate a ceasefire, according to a social media post by United States President Donald Trump on Saturday.

"The U.S. already flunked the test and that should be a wakeup call," a former senior U.S. State Department official told Newsweek.

The latest flare-up started on Thursday, with intense fighting spreading across multiple border areas. Early Saturday, Thailand’s navy joined the army in repelling what it described as incursions by Cambodian troops at three points in eastern Trat province.

China will continue to play a “constructive role” in helping to ease regional tensions, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday, as Thai and Cambodian troops exchanged fire on their border for a second day.

Thai and Cambodian troops clashed in at least six areas along the countries’ shared 510-mile border on Thursday, killing one Thai soldier and nearly a dozen Thai civilians. The fighting—the second instance of armed confrontation between the two countries in almost two months—has sparked fears that the conflict could escalate into open warfare.

Thailand favours bilateral negotiation rather than third-party mediation to resolve its military conflict with Cambodia, two Thai officials said, as fighting along their disputed border continued unabated.

Its actions will also be a test of its diplomatic strength in the region, they added. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

China has blamed “Western colonialists” for ongoing clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border that have left at least 15 people dead and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that both the leaders from Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to meet immediately for ceasefire talks after three days of clashes