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.

The Thai warning came as the U.S. expressed its grave concern about the most serious fighting in years between the Southeast Asian neighbors. The U.S. and China compete for influence in fast-growing Southeast Asia, and both have good relations with Thailand and Cambodia.

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.

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.

The conflict's death toll rose substantially, with Cambodia reporting 12 new deaths and Thailand one, making the total death toll 13 Cambodians and 20 Thai

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