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US presidential trips overseas have historically been an opportunity to display the strength of the American nation on the world stage. Trump's five-day trip through eastern Asia, conversely, has been a demonstration of the authority of the president – but also, at times, of that influence's constraints.

The president's visits in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the course of the first four days were an exercise in catering to a at times mercurial American president. It was an recognition that the leader, with the signature of a hand, could enact taxes and additional actions that have the potential to devastate the financial systems of trade-reliant states.

His discussion with China's president Xi Jinping on Thursday, nevertheless, was a completely different scenario.

It was a session of equals on the international scene, where the risks for the two powers – for their markets, for their global standing, for the well-being of their people – were immense.

With the Chinese, the US leader may wave his power, but these moves come with repercussions. They involve a toll.

• The US president describes 'remarkable' encounter with the Chinese leader but no pact agreed
• The Chinese president and Trump establish short-term ceasefire as Beijing adopts strategic patience

For the first four days, the president's recent foray into international relations was smooth sailing.

Each stop was marked by a combination of standard economic talks – agreements made under the pressure of Trump's "equivalent" duties – and special treatment that at moments bordered on the obsequious.

In Malaysia, the president obtained access to key materials and made advances toward finalizing commercial deals with ASEAN countries. He also led a agreement that should reduce border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "peace agreement" the president enjoys to tout.

In Japan, the president's Marine One passed by a landmark tower lit US flag colors – with a peak in golden.

Freshly appointed Head Takaichi outlined $half-trillion in Tokyo's funding in the United States and presented the US leader a offering of two hundred fifty cherry trees for America's 250th anniversary, and a sports gear and carrier that belonged to Shinzo Abe, the murdered past head who connected with the president in his previous administration.

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

Keeping pace, South Korea welcomed the president with cannons firing a honor salute and a armed forces orchestra that performed the presidential anthem and the classic tune – the Village People song that has evolved into a political gathering theme.

President Lee Jae Myung held an "honour ceremony" for the US leader during which he gave the American leader his country's highest medal and a model of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Lunch with Lee included a "Conciliatory Treat" of gold-covered brownies. Afterward, the hosts served the president vineyard wine at an exclusive gathering in the president's honour with half-dozen global figures participating in the APEC meeting.

In the America, Trump may be the subject of "No Kings" protests by the public who reject his boundary-testing increases of executive authority, but during his Asian visit he was handled as monarchy.

And like the rulers of ancient times, Trump came to South Korea seeking payment – in the guise of $two hundred billion in cash payments, $20bn a year, from Korea to the America, to be invested at the direction of the president's government. Agreement on the details of those payments contributed to that the duty level on South Korean exports to the United States would decrease from 25% to 15%.

The main event of Trump's Asian tour took place in its last moments, nevertheless, as he met with Xi.

In that setting, the authority balance between leaders of the world's two largest economies was noticeably different than the interactions the president had with his overseas colleagues in earlier stops.

Missing were all the pageantry and the spectacle. Without any armed forces orchestras, absent protocol units, missing meticulously designed dining selections honoring shared goodwill. Rather, the both heads and their top aides were seated across a long white meeting furniture in a unremarkable armed forces facility just off the runway of the city of Busan's international airport.

It was perhaps a reflection of the major consequences that when the president exchanged greetings with Xi in the southern port, he seemed