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Presidential journeys abroad have historically been an chance to demonstrate the power of the United States on the global scene. Trump's week-long tour through East Asia, conversely, has been a show of the power of the president – but also, at moments, of that power's constraints.

The president's stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the span of the opening phase were an demonstration in pleasing a at times mercurial president. It was an recognition that the president, with the stroke of a pen, could introduce tariffs and additional actions that have the ability to devastate the financial systems of export-dependent nations.

His meeting with Chinese leader Xi on Thursday, however, was a completely different scenario.

It was a meeting of peers on the world platform, where the consequences for both nations – for their markets, for their international prestige, for the well-being of their populations – were immense.

With China, the US leader may wave his pen, but these moves come with repercussions. They come with a toll.

• The US president describes 'impressive' meeting with Xi but no pact finalized
• Xi and the US leader reach temporary truce as Beijing plays longer game

For the first four days, Trump's recent venture into international relations was uneventful.

Each destination was punctuated by a blend of conventional trade negotiations – deals made under the threat of the president's "mutual" taxes – and individual concessions that at points approached the obsequious.

In Malaysia, the president secured entry to essential resources and made advances toward completing commercial deals with regional partners. He also presided over a treaty that should reduce frontier issues between Thailand and Cambodia – the kind of "truce" the American president enjoys to tout.

In the Japanese leg, the president's helicopter passed by a landmark tower displayed American colors – with a peak in golden.

Newly elected Prime Minister Takaichi detailed $550bn in Tokyo's funding in the US and offered the US leader a gift of 250 flowering trees for the United States' 250th birthday, and a golf club and carrier that was owned by the late leader, the killed ex-leader who connected with the president in his initial presidency.

She also became the most recent international head to nominate the president for his much-desired Nobel Peace Prize.

Not to be outdone, Korea received Trump with guns discharging a honor salute and a service ensemble that performed the leader's song and YMCA – the band tune that has become a presidential event anthem.

Leader Lee held an "honour ceremony" for the US leader during which he presented the US president his state's top honor and a model of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Midday meal with the Korean leader included a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-covered chocolate squares. Subsequently, the hosts provided Trump premium vintage at an exclusive gathering in Trump's honor with half-dozen global figures participating in the regional summit summit.

In the America, Trump may be the target of "Anti-Authority" demonstrations by US citizens who disapprove of his limit-pushing increases of leader's control, but during his regional swing he was received as nobility.

And like the kings of history, the president came to Korea demanding tribute – in the shape of $200bn in cash payments, $20bn a per year, from South Korea to the United States, to be invested at the guidance of Trump's leadership. Consent on the conditions of those transfers helped ensure that the tariff rate on Korean exports to the US would decrease from 25% to under twenty percent.

The main event of the president's Asia trip took place in its last moments, though, as he sat down with the Chinese leader.

At that location, the power dynamic between heads of the planet's biggest economic powers was markedly divergent than the exchanges the president had with his foreign counterparts in earlier stops.

Absent were typical pomp and the spectacle. No military bands, absent protocol units, missing meticulously designed menus honoring mutual national affection. Rather, the both heads and their senior advisors were seated across a extended light-colored meeting furniture in a nondescript military building just adjacent to the landing strip of the city of Busan's air transport hub.

It was possibly a demonstration of the significant risks that when Trump exchanged greetings with the Chinese leader in the southern port, he appeared