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Presidential journeys overseas have traditionally been an occasion to demonstrate the influence of the US on the global scene. Trump's five-day trip through Asian nations, by contrast, has been a display of the clout of the president – but also, at moments, of that authority's constraints.

Trump's stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the course of the opening phase were an display in catering to a at times unpredictable American president. It was an admission that the president, with the flick of a document, could impose taxes and additional actions that have the potential to harm the financial systems of trade-reliant countries.

His meeting with Chinese leader Xi on the final day, however, was a distinct situation.

It was a meeting of counterparts on the global stage, where the stakes for the two powers – for their markets, for their international prestige, for the prosperity of their people – were enormous.

With Beijing, Trump may wave his pen, but those steps involve ramifications. They carry a cost.

• The US president describes 'remarkable' talks with Xi but no pact reached
• The Chinese president and Trump reach short-term ceasefire as Beijing adopts strategic patience

For the first four days, the president's most recent entry into world politics was smooth sailing.

Each destination was marked by a blend of conventional commercial discussions – deals made under the shadow of the president's "equivalent" tariffs – and individual concessions that at points approached the subservient.

In the Malaysian stop, Trump secured access to critical minerals and made advances toward concluding commercial deals with south-east Asian nations. He also oversaw a pact that should ease territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "peace deal" the US leader loves to highlight.

In Japan, Trump's helicopter passed by a famous structure displayed US flag colors – with a summit in Trumpian gold.

Freshly appointed Prime Minister Sanai Takaichi described $550bn in Japanese investments in the US and presented the US leader a gift of a quarter-thousand cherry trees for the United States' 250th anniversary, and a golf equipment and bag that belonged to the late leader, the assassinated former prime minister who connected with Trump in his first term.

She also became the latest overseas counterpart to propose Trump for his much-desired Nobel Peace Prize.

Keeping pace, the Korean government received the president with artillery firing a honor salute and a service ensemble that rendered the leader's song and the Village People song – the band tune that has evolved into a Trump rally theme.

President Lee Jae Myung held an "recognition ritual" for Trump during which he awarded the president his nation's top honor and a replica of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Noon repast with the Korean leader contained a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-encrusted brownies. Afterward, the South Koreans offered Trump vineyard wine at an intimate dinner in Trump's recognition with half-dozen world leaders present at the APEC conference.

In the America, Trump may be the focus of "No Kings" protests by Americans who oppose his limit-pushing increases of presidential power, but during his East Asia swing he was handled as nobility.

And like the monarchs of ancient times, the president came to Korea seeking tribute – in the shape of $200 billion in monetary contributions, $twenty billion a annually, from the host nation to the United States, to be invested at the guidance of the president's administration. Agreement on the details of those contributions helped ensure that the tax percentage on host nation products to the US would decrease from a quarter to fifteen percent.

The primary focus of the president's Asia trip occurred in its final hours, however, as he encountered Xi.

At that location, the authority balance between counterparts of the planet's biggest economic powers was markedly divergent than the meetings Trump had with his overseas colleagues in earlier stops.

Missing were all the ceremony and the spectacle. Lacking service ensembles, absent honour guards, missing meticulously designed menus honoring shared goodwill. Rather, the two leaders and their senior advisors positioned themselves across a long white meeting furniture in a plain armed forces facility just off the runway of the city of Busan's international airport.

It was likely a reflection of the high stakes that when the president exchanged greetings with Xi in the Korean city, he seemed