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Presidential journeys abroad have typically been an chance to display the influence of the United States on the world stage. Trump's week-long trip through East Asia, on the other hand, has been a show of the power of Trump – but also, at moments, of that authority's limitations.

Trump's visits in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the duration of the initial days were an demonstration in pleasing a sometimes volatile president. It was an recognition that the president, with the flick of a document, could enact tariffs and additional actions that have the potential to harm the financial systems of export-oriented countries.

His meeting with Beijing's head Xi on the last day, though, was something entirely different.

It was a session of equals on the international scene, where the risks for each country – for their economies, for their world reputation, for the well-being of their citizens – were significant.

With the Chinese, the US leader may wave his authority, but these moves come with repercussions. They come with a price.

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For the opening segment, the president's latest foray into international relations was successful.

Each destination was characterized by a mix of standard commercial discussions – arrangements made under the shadow of the president's "equivalent" tariffs – and special treatment that at moments verged on the deferential.

In the Malaysian stop, the president obtained rights to essential resources and made progress toward completing trade arrangements with south-east Asian nations. He also oversaw a pact that should ease territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia – the sort of "truce" the US leader loves to highlight.

In Japan, the president's Marine One flew past a Tokyo Tower lit US flag colors – with a summit in Trumpian gold.

Newly elected Leader the Japanese leader outlined $550bn in Japan's financial commitments in the America and presented the American president a gift of a quarter-thousand cherry trees for the United States' semiquincentennial, and a sports gear and bag that belonged to the late leader, the assassinated past head who connected with Trump in his initial presidency.

She also became the most recent overseas counterpart to propose the president for his highly-coveted peace award.

Not to be outdone, South Korea received the president with artillery firing a 21-gun salute and a military band that rendered Hail to the Chief and the classic tune – the musical group song that has evolved into a political gathering standard.

Head Lee held an "recognition ritual" for the US leader during which he gave the American leader his country's highest medal and a copy of an historical royal headpiece.

Midday meal with the Korean leader featured a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-encrusted chocolate squares. Afterward, the South Koreans offered the president vineyard wine at an intimate dinner in Trump's honour with six global figures participating in the APEC meeting.

In the America, the president may be the subject of "Anti-Monarchy" protests by US citizens who disapprove of his authority-expanding increases of executive authority, but during his East Asia swing he was treated like monarchy.

And like the kings of old, the president arrived in South Korea requesting tribute – in the form of $200bn in financial transfers, $twenty billion a annually, from Korea to the United States, to be invested at the guidance of the president's administration. Consent on the terms of those payments helped ensure that the tax percentage on Korean goods to the US would drop from twenty-five percent to under twenty percent.

The primary focus of Trump's Asian tour took place in its last moments, nevertheless, as he encountered the Chinese leader.

In that setting, the power dynamic between leaders of the world's two largest economies was markedly different than the exchanges the president had with his overseas colleagues in earlier stops.

Missing were all the pageantry and the spectacle. Lacking service ensembles, absent protocol units, without thoughtfully prepared dining selections marking mutual national affection. Rather, the both heads and their senior advisors positioned themselves across a extended light-colored discussion surface in a plain military building just adjacent to the landing strip of the southern port's air transport hub.

It was perhaps a demonstration of the high stakes that when the president shook hands with Xi in the southern port, he appeared