The tank screeches as it rolls into the ad-hoc military base before four battle-weary soldiers jump out to re-inspect the hefty vehicle.

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery fire for a second day on Friday as their worst fighting in over a decade intensified and spread to new areas, despite international calls for a ceasefire.

If Cambodia could solidify its territorial holdings in this war, it could not only enhance its own geopolitical and geoeconomic power, but also expand China’s influence.