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US presidential trips internationally have historically been an chance to showcase the power of the United States on the international platform. Donald Trump's multi-day swing through East Asia, on the other hand, has been a demonstration of the power of the president – but also, at points, of that power's limitations.

The president's visits in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the duration of the initial days were an exercise in pleasing a occasionally volatile president. It was an admission that Trump, with the signature of a document, could introduce tariffs and other measures that have the potential to harm the markets of trade-reliant nations.

His meeting with Chinese leader Xi on the last day, though, was a distinct situation.

It was a encounter of peers on the world platform, where the stakes for both nations – for their financial health, for their world reputation, for the welfare of their populations – were immense.

With Beijing, Trump may wave his power, but those steps involve ramifications. They come with a toll.

• The US president hails 'amazing' encounter with the Chinese leader but no pact finalized
• Xi and Trump establish brief pause as Beijing pursues extended strategy

For the initial phase, Trump's recent entry into international relations was uneventful.

Each visit was punctuated by a mix of traditional trade negotiations – arrangements made under the pressure of the president's "reciprocal" taxes – and individual concessions that at moments bordered on the subservient.

In the Malaysian stop, the president gained access to essential resources and made progress toward concluding commercial deals with ASEAN countries. He also presided over a agreement that should reduce border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "peace deal" the US leader loves to tout.

In the Japanese leg, the president's official aircraft flew past a famous structure displayed red, white and blue – with a top in Trumpian gold.

Recently chosen Head Takaichi detailed $550bn in Japan's financial commitments in the America and presented the US leader a present of a quarter-thousand cherry trees for America's 250th anniversary, and a golf club and case that belonged to former Prime Minister Abe, the assassinated past head who developed ties with the president in his initial presidency.

She also became the newest international head to propose the president for his long-sought Nobel Peace Prize.

Matching the effort, the Korean government greeted the president with cannons performing a honor salute and a service ensemble that rendered the leader's song and the classic tune – the musical group tune that has become a Trump rally theme.

Head Lee held an "recognition ritual" for Trump during which he awarded the American leader his country's highest medal and a copy of an traditional ruler's coronet.

Lunch with Lee contained a "Peacemaker's Dessert" of gold-encrusted chocolate squares. Later that day, the South Koreans served Trump fine beverage at an exclusive gathering in the president's honour with six international heads attending the regional summit conference.

In the America, Trump may be the focus of "No Kings" rallies by US citizens who oppose his authority-expanding extensions of executive authority, but during his regional visit he was treated like royalty.

And like the kings of history, Trump came to Korea seeking tribute – in the guise of $200bn in monetary contributions, $20 billion a per year, from the host nation to the US, to be allocated at the discretion of the president's administration. Approval on the details of those payments assisted in that the duty level on host nation exports to the US would drop from 25% to fifteen percent.

The central moment of Trump's Asia trip occurred in its final hours, nevertheless, as he sat down with Xi.

There, the power dynamic between counterparts of the global top two markets was markedly different than the interactions the president had with his foreign counterparts in previous days.

Not present were typical pageantry and the display. No armed forces orchestras, absent protocol units, without meticulously designed meal plans marking shared goodwill. Rather, the both heads and their key staff were seated across a long white negotiating table in a plain armed forces facility just off the runway of Busan's air transport hub.

It was perhaps a reflection of the high stakes that when Trump exchanged greetings with the Chinese leader in the southern port, he appeared