China on Monday called for calmness and restraint from both Cambodia and Thailand to prevent the escalation of border conflicts between the two southeast Asian countries.

"Both Cambodia and Thailand are China's friendly neighbors. China hopes that the two nations exercise calmness and restraint, resolve disputes through consultation, and prevent the situation from escalation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.

The latest fighting between Cambodian and Thai troops in their age-old territorial dispute erupted at the border region Friday afternoon and entered the fourth consecutive day Monday.