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Presidential journeys overseas have historically been an occasion to display the strength of the US on the world stage. Donald Trump's week-long trip through eastern Asia, by contrast, has been a demonstration of the power of Trump – but also, at moments, of that influence's constraints.

Trump's destinations in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the course of the initial days were an exercise in satisfying a at times mercurial president. It was an recognition that the leader, with the signature of a hand, could introduce tariffs and further steps that have the ability to harm the markets of export-oriented countries.

His meeting with Chinese leader Xi on the last day, however, was a completely different scenario.

It was a session of counterparts on the global stage, where the risks for the two powers – for their financial health, for their world reputation, for the welfare of their citizens – were immense.

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

• The US president describes 'amazing' meeting with the Chinese leader but no agreement agreed
• The Chinese president and the US leader find brief pause as Beijing adopts strategic patience

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

Each destination was characterized by a combination of traditional economic talks – arrangements made under the shadow of the president's "reciprocal" tariffs – and personal accommodations that at times approached the obsequious.

In Malaysia, the president secured access to essential resources and made headway toward completing trade arrangements with ASEAN countries. He also oversaw a agreement that should ease frontier issues between Thailand and Cambodia – the sort of "truce" the American president prefers to promote.

In Japan, Trump's official aircraft soared near a famous structure lit American colors – with a peak in golden.

Freshly appointed Head Takaichi outlined $550bn in Japanese investments in the America and gave the US leader a gift of a quarter-thousand flowering trees for America's 250th birthday, and a golf club and case that was owned by former Prime Minister Abe, the killed ex-leader who developed ties with Trump in his initial presidency.

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

Matching the effort, the Korean government welcomed Trump with guns discharging a 21-gun salute and a military band that performed Hail to the Chief and YMCA – the Village People tune that has turned into a Trump rally theme.

President Lee Jae Myung held an "recognition ritual" for Trump during which he presented the American leader his nation's premier award and a copy of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Noon repast with the Korean leader featured a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gilded chocolate squares. Afterward, the South Koreans served Trump fine beverage at an intimate dinner in Trump's honor with half-dozen international heads participating in the APEC summit.

In the America, Trump may be the target of "Anti-Monarchy" demonstrations by US citizens who oppose his limit-pushing expansions of presidential power, but during his regional visit he was received as monarchy.

And like the kings of old, the president visited South Korea requesting tribute – in the form of $200 billion in cash payments, $twenty billion a per year, from the host nation to the US, to be used at the guidance of the president's administration. Agreement on the terms of those contributions contributed to that the tax percentage on Korean exports to the United States would drop from twenty-five percent to 15%.

The central moment of the president's Asian tour came in its final hours, however, as he met with the Chinese leader.

In that setting, the power dynamic between leaders of the world's two largest economies was decidedly different than the meetings Trump had with his foreign counterparts in previous days.

Missing were the usual pomp and the spectacle. Lacking armed forces orchestras, without ceremonial troops, missing carefully crafted menus honoring mutual national affection. Instead, the two leaders and their key staff positioned themselves across a extended light-colored negotiating table in a unremarkable armed forces facility just near the airstrip of Busan's global terminal.

It was possibly a indication of the high stakes that when the president made contact with the Chinese leader in Busan, he looked