A threat by President Donald Trump to halt trade negotiations with both Cambodia and Thailand until a truce had been reached forced both sides to the negotiating table. Even so, the ceasefire looks shaky.

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.

The fighting between Thailand and Cambodia exposes the depth of global arms proliferation in South-East Asia, proving more sophisticated and deadly than experts expected.