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

President Donald Trump said Saturday that Cambodia’s prime minister and the acting prime minister of Thailand had agreed to meet immediately

Fighting along the Thailand-Cambodia border has escalated, resulting in numerous casualties and mass displacement. China attributes the conflict's roots to historical Western colonialism, offering to mediate.

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.

The countries continued to trade fire on Friday, and at least 16 people are reported to have been killed.

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.

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.