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Presidential journeys abroad have traditionally been an chance to demonstrate the power of the American nation on the world stage. Trump's five-day tour through East Asia, on the other hand, has been a demonstration of the authority of Trump – but also, at moments, of that authority's boundaries.

The president's visits in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the course of the initial days were an exercise in catering to a at times volatile American president. It was an recognition that Trump, with the signature of a pen, could enact tariffs and additional actions that have the ability to damage the economies of trade-reliant countries.

His sit-down with Beijing's head Xi Jinping on the final day, however, was a completely different scenario.

It was a session of peers on the international scene, where the consequences for each country – for their markets, for their world reputation, for the well-being of their citizens – were immense.

With Beijing, the US leader may wave his power, but these moves involve repercussions. They come with a price.

• Trump hails 'impressive' talks with Xi but no pact agreed
• The Chinese president and the US leader find brief pause as Beijing plays longer game

For the initial phase, the president's most recent entry into world politics was uneventful.

Each destination was marked by a combination of standard economic talks – agreements made under the shadow of Trump's "mutual" taxes – and individual concessions that at times verged on the deferential.

In the Malaysian stop, Trump obtained entry to essential resources and made progress toward completing trade arrangements with regional partners. He also oversaw a pact that should alleviate border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia – the kind of "truce" the American president prefers to tout.

In Japan, Trump's official aircraft passed by a Tokyo Tower lit American colors – with a summit in gilded.

Newly elected Leader Takaichi detailed $550bn in Tokyo's funding in the United States and offered the American president a gift of a quarter-thousand flowering trees for the United States' semiquincentennial, and a sports gear and bag that belonged to former Prime Minister Abe, the killed former prime minister who bonded with the president in his first term.

She also became the newest overseas counterpart to nominate Trump for his highly-coveted international honor.

Matching the effort, Korea received Trump with artillery performing a 21-gun salute and a military band that rendered Hail to the Chief and the classic tune – the Village People song that has turned into a political gathering standard.

Head Lee held an "honour ceremony" for the US leader during which he presented the American leader his state's highest medal and a replica of an traditional ruler's coronet.

Midday meal with the Korean leader included a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-encrusted baked goods. Later that day, the South Koreans served Trump premium vintage at an exclusive gathering in the president's honor with multiple international heads participating in the APEC summit.

In the US, the president may be the target of "Anti-Authority" protests by US citizens who oppose his authority-expanding increases of leader's control, but during his Asian visit he was treated like monarchy.

And like the monarchs of history, the president came to South Korea requesting contribution – in the form of $200 billion in financial transfers, $twenty billion a annually, from Korea to the America, to be invested at the discretion of Trump's leadership. Agreement on the details of those payments assisted in that the tariff rate on host nation goods to the United States would drop from twenty-five percent to 15%.

The central moment of Trump's regional visit came in its concluding phase, however, as he met with the Chinese leader.

At that location, the authority balance between counterparts of the global top two markets was markedly different than the exchanges the president had with his overseas colleagues in previous days.

Missing were the usual ceremony and the spectacle. Lacking military bands, absent honour guards, without thoughtfully prepared dining selections honoring mutual national affection. Rather, the both heads and their top aides were seated across a large pale meeting furniture in a unremarkable military building just near the airstrip of Busan's global terminal.

It was likely a reflection of the significant risks that when the president exchanged greetings with Xi in the Korean city, he looked