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Presidential journeys overseas have traditionally been an occasion to showcase the power of the US on the international platform. The president's multi-day tour through eastern Asia, conversely, has been a display of the power of the leader – but also, at points, of that power's boundaries.

The president's stops in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the course of the opening phase were an demonstration in satisfying a sometimes mercurial American president. It was an acknowledgement that Trump, with the signature of a hand, could impose tariffs and further steps that have the capacity to harm the economies of trade-reliant countries.

His discussion with China's president Xi Jinping on the last day, however, was a distinct situation.

It was a encounter of counterparts on the world platform, where the risks for each country – for their economies, for their global standing, for the prosperity of their people – were significant.

With the Chinese, Trump may flick his authority, but those steps involve ramifications. They come with a price.

• Trump praises 'remarkable' encounter with Xi but no pact reached
• The Chinese president and the US leader find brief pause as China plays longer game

For the first four days, Trump's recent foray into world politics was smooth sailing.

Each destination was characterized by a mix of traditional trade negotiations – arrangements made under the pressure of Trump's "mutual" taxes – and special treatment that at points verged on the obsequious.

In Malaysia, the president gained access to essential resources and made progress toward completing commercial deals with south-east Asian nations. He also oversaw a treaty that should reduce frontier issues between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "peace deal" the US leader loves to promote.

In Japan, Trump's Marine One passed by a landmark tower illuminated red, white and blue – with a top in gilded.

Freshly appointed Prime Minister Takaichi described $550bn in Japan's financial commitments in the America and gave the American president a present of two hundred fifty cherry trees for the United States' 250th birthday, and a golf club and bag that came from the late leader, the murdered past head who developed ties with the president in his previous administration.

She also became the most recent overseas counterpart to nominate the president for his much-desired peace award.

Not to be outdone, Korea greeted the president with artillery discharging a honor salute and a service ensemble that rendered Hail to the Chief and the Village People song – the band song that has evolved into a Trump rally standard.

Leader Lee held an "award event" for Trump during which he presented the president his country's premier award and a model of an traditional ruler's coronet.

Lunch with Lee contained a "Conciliatory Treat" of gilded brownies. Afterward, the hosts provided the president vineyard wine at an private meal in Trump's honor with six world leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference conference.

In the United States, the president may be the subject of "Anti-Monarchy" protests by the public who reject his limit-pushing expansions of presidential power, but during his East Asia visit he was handled as nobility.

And like the monarchs of old, the president arrived in South Korea seeking tribute – in the guise of $200 billion in cash payments, $twenty billion a year, from Korea to the America, to be allocated at the direction of Trump's government. Agreement on the details of those payments assisted in that the tax percentage on Korean exports to the US would decrease from a quarter to fifteen percent.

The main event of the president's Asia trip took place in its final hours, however, as he met with the Chinese leader.

In that setting, the influence relationship between counterparts of the global top two markets was noticeably different than the interactions the president had with his overseas colleagues in earlier stops.

Not present were typical ceremony and the display. No armed forces orchestras, absent honour guards, missing meticulously designed meal plans celebrating mutual national affection. Rather, the both heads and their senior advisors sat across a long white negotiating table in a nondescript armed forces facility just adjacent to the landing strip of the city of Busan's global terminal.

It was likely a indication of the major consequences that when the president exchanged greetings with Xi in the southern port, he looked