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American leader visits abroad have historically been an chance to display the strength of the American nation on the world stage. Trump's multi-day trip through Asian nations, by contrast, has been a demonstration of the authority of Trump – but also, at times, of that power's boundaries.

The president's visits in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the course of the initial days were an demonstration in catering to a occasionally mercurial president. It was an admission that the president, with the signature of a hand, could introduce duties and additional actions that have the capacity to devastate the financial systems of trade-reliant countries.

His discussion with Beijing's head Xi on the last day, nevertheless, was a completely different scenario.

It was a meeting of peers on the global stage, where the risks for the two powers – for their markets, for their international prestige, for the prosperity of their people – were enormous.

With Beijing, the president may wave his power, but those steps come with ramifications. They carry a toll.

• The US president describes 'impressive' talks with Xi but no agreement reached
• The Chinese president and the US leader establish brief pause as Beijing plays longer game

For the first four days, Trump's latest foray into international relations was successful.

Each destination was characterized by a combination of conventional economic talks – agreements made under the pressure of the president's "equivalent" tariffs – and personal accommodations that at times approached the subservient.

In the Malaysian stop, Trump gained access to critical minerals and made progress toward completing trade arrangements with south-east Asian nations. He also led a pact that should ease border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "peace deal" the president loves to tout.

In the Japanese leg, Trump's Marine One soared near a Tokyo Tower lit US flag colors – with a top in Trumpian gold.

Freshly appointed Head the Japanese leader described $550bn in Tokyo's funding in the United States and offered the president a present of two hundred fifty cherry trees for America's 250th birthday, and a golf equipment and case that came from former Prime Minister Abe, the killed former prime minister who connected with the president in his first term.

She also became the latest overseas counterpart to propose the president for his long-sought peace award.

Keeping pace, Korea welcomed the president with cannons discharging a traditional greeting and a military band that rendered the presidential anthem and the Village People song – the Village People song that has evolved into a presidential event theme.

President the Korean president held an "recognition ritual" for Trump during which he gave the American leader his state's top honor and a replica of an traditional ruler's coronet.

Noon repast with Lee contained a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-encrusted baked goods. Afterward, the Koreans offered Trump vineyard wine at an private meal in the president's recognition with six international heads participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference summit.

In the United States, Trump may be the target of "Anti-Authority" protests by Americans who disapprove of his limit-pushing expansions of leader's control, but during his Asian swing he was treated like royalty.

And like the monarchs of history, the president visited the Korean nation requesting tribute – in the shape of $200 billion in financial transfers, $20bn a per year, from South Korea to the America, to be used at the discretion of the president's leadership. Consent on the terms of those contributions helped ensure that the tax percentage on Korean goods to the America would drop from twenty-five percent to under twenty percent.

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

There, the influence relationship between counterparts of the planet's biggest economic powers was decidedly divergent than the exchanges the president had with his overseas colleagues in previous days.

Absent were typical ceremony and the pageantry. Lacking military bands, absent ceremonial troops, missing carefully crafted dining selections celebrating bilateral friendship. By contrast, the pair of counterparts and their senior advisors positioned themselves across a long white negotiating table in a plain military building just off the runway of the southern port's international airport.

It was perhaps a reflection of the high stakes that when the president made contact with the Chinese leader in Busan, he appeared