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Presidential journeys overseas have historically been an occasion to display the strength of the United States on the global scene. Trump's five-day tour through East Asia, by contrast, has been a display of the clout of Trump – but also, at moments, of that authority's boundaries.

Trump's destinations in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the course of the first four days were an demonstration in catering to a sometimes volatile US leader. It was an admission that the leader, with the flick of a hand, could impose tariffs and other measures that have the capacity to damage the economies of trade-reliant countries.

His discussion with China's president Xi Jinping on the last day, though, was a completely different scenario.

It was a meeting of equals on the global stage, where the risks for both nations – for their financial health, for their global standing, for the welfare of their populations – were immense.

With China, the president may wave his power, but these moves come with ramifications. They carry a toll.

• Trump describes 'remarkable' meeting with Xi but no agreement finalized
• The Chinese president and the US leader find brief pause as China adopts strategic patience

For the opening segment, Trump's most recent venture into international relations was successful.

Each stop was punctuated by a combination of conventional economic talks – agreements made under the pressure of Trump's "mutual" tariffs – and special treatment that at points verged on the subservient.

In Malaysia, Trump gained entry to essential resources and made headway toward concluding commercial deals with south-east Asian nations. He also led a agreement that should alleviate territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "truce" the American president enjoys to tout.

In Japan, the president's official aircraft flew past a landmark tower lit red, white and blue – with a summit in Trumpian gold.

Newly elected Prime Minister Takaichi described $half-trillion in Tokyo's funding in the US and presented the American president a offering of a quarter-thousand cherry trees for the United States' semiquincentennial, and a sports gear and carrier that belonged to the late leader, the murdered ex-leader who bonded with the president in his initial presidency.

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

Keeping pace, South Korea greeted Trump with guns discharging a traditional greeting and a service ensemble that performed the leader's song and the classic tune – the Village People song that has become a Trump rally theme.

Head the Korean president held an "award event" for Trump during which he awarded the president his country's highest medal and a replica of an traditional ruler's coronet.

Noon repast with Lee included a "Peacemaker's Dessert" of gold-covered brownies. Later that day, the hosts served the president fine beverage at an exclusive gathering in the president's recognition with multiple international heads attending the regional summit summit.

In the America, the president may be the focus of "Anti-Authority" rallies by Americans who oppose his authority-expanding increases of executive authority, but during his East Asia swing he was received as nobility.

And like the kings of history, Trump came to South Korea seeking payment – in the form of $200bn in financial transfers, $twenty billion a per year, from Korea to the United States, to be used at the direction of the president's administration. Approval on the conditions of those contributions contributed to that the tariff rate on host nation goods to the US would decrease from twenty-five percent to fifteen percent.

The central moment of Trump's regional visit occurred in its final hours, nevertheless, as he encountered Xi.

At that location, the influence relationship between heads of the global top two markets was decidedly distinct than the exchanges Trump had with his international peers in previous days.

Not present were the usual pomp and the display. Without any armed forces orchestras, no ceremonial troops, no thoughtfully prepared menus celebrating mutual national affection. Rather, the pair of counterparts and their senior advisors positioned themselves across a extended light-colored discussion surface in a nondescript military building just near the airstrip of Busan's global terminal.

It was perhaps a demonstration of the major consequences that when the president made contact with Xi in the southern port, he appeared