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American leader visits internationally have traditionally been an opportunity to showcase the strength of the American nation on the world stage. Trump's five-day trip through eastern Asia, conversely, has been a show of the power of the president – but also, at moments, of that power's constraints.

Trump's stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the duration of the first four days were an demonstration in satisfying a at times volatile American president. It was an recognition that the president, with the flick of a document, could enact tariffs and further steps that have the capacity to damage the financial systems of export-dependent countries.

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

It was a encounter of peers on the international scene, where the consequences for both nations – for their financial health, for their global standing, for the well-being of their citizens – were immense.

With the Chinese, the president may wave his power, but those steps come with consequences. They carry a price.

• Trump describes 'remarkable' talks with Xi but no agreement finalized
• Xi and the US leader find short-term ceasefire as Beijing plays longer game

For the first four days, the president's most recent entry into world politics was uneventful.

Each stop was punctuated by a mix of standard economic talks – deals made under the pressure of the president's "mutual" duties – and special treatment that at points verged on the subservient.

In Malaysia, the president gained rights to key materials and made headway toward finalizing economic agreements with ASEAN countries. He also led a agreement that should alleviate territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "peace deal" the US leader enjoys to promote.

In Japan, Trump's Marine One flew past a Tokyo Tower illuminated red, white and blue – with a peak in Trumpian gold.

Freshly appointed Head Takaichi described $550 billion in Tokyo's funding in the United States and presented the American president a gift of two hundred fifty cherry trees for America's 250th anniversary, and a sports gear and case that was owned by the late leader, the killed ex-leader who bonded with the president in his initial presidency.

She also became the most recent international head to nominate Trump for his highly-coveted Nobel Peace Prize.

Keeping pace, the Korean government received Trump with artillery performing a 21-gun salute and a military band that rendered the leader's song and YMCA – the musical group song that has evolved into a political gathering theme.

Leader the Korean president held an "honour ceremony" for Trump during which he awarded the president his state's premier award and a copy of an historical royal headpiece.

Lunch with the Korean leader featured a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-covered brownies. Subsequently, the Koreans provided the president fine beverage at an private meal in Trump's honour with six international heads participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference summit.

In the United States, the president may be the target of "No Kings" demonstrations by Americans who disapprove of his boundary-testing extensions of leader's control, but during his Asian swing he was handled as nobility.

And like the monarchs of old, Trump visited the Korean nation seeking contribution – in the shape of $200bn in cash payments, $20bn a year, from Korea to the America, to be used at the guidance of the president's administration. Agreement on the terms of those payments contributed to that the tariff rate on South Korean goods to the US would drop from twenty-five percent to under twenty percent.

The main event of the president's Asian tour occurred in its concluding phase, nevertheless, as he met with the Chinese leader.

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

Not present were typical ceremony and the display. Lacking service ensembles, absent protocol units, without meticulously designed meal plans marking bilateral friendship. Instead, the both heads and their top aides positioned themselves across a large pale discussion surface in a plain armed forces facility just off the runway of the southern port's global terminal.

It was likely a demonstration of the major consequences that when the president made contact with Xi in the Korean city, he appeared