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American leader visits overseas have typically been an chance to demonstrate the power of the American nation on the world stage. The president's multi-day trip through Asian nations, by contrast, has been a display of the authority of Trump – but also, at times, of that authority's limitations.

The president's destinations in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the course of the first four days were an demonstration in pleasing a at times mercurial American president. It was an admission that the leader, with the signature of a hand, could enact duties and additional actions that have the capacity to damage the markets of export-dependent states.

His sit-down with China's president Xi on the final day, though, was a completely different scenario.

It was a encounter of equals on the global stage, where the consequences for the two powers – for their markets, for their world reputation, for the welfare of their citizens – were enormous.

With Beijing, the president may wave his pen, but those steps entail consequences. They come with a cost.

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For the initial phase, Trump's most recent entry into global diplomacy was successful.

Each destination was marked by a mix of conventional economic talks – agreements made under the threat of the president's "reciprocal" duties – and special treatment that at points approached the subservient.

In the Malaysian stop, the president obtained rights to critical minerals and made headway toward finalizing commercial deals with ASEAN countries. He also led a pact that should ease frontier issues between Thailand and Cambodia – the kind of "peace agreement" the president prefers to tout.

In Japan, the president's helicopter flew past a famous structure displayed American colors – with a summit in golden.

Recently chosen Head Sanai Takaichi described $550bn in Japan's financial commitments in the US and offered the US leader a offering of two hundred fifty cherry trees for the United States' 250th anniversary, and a golf equipment and bag that belonged to Shinzo Abe, the killed ex-leader who connected with Trump in his first term.

She also became the newest foreign leader to suggest the president for his highly-coveted international honor.

Keeping pace, the Korean government greeted the president with artillery discharging a traditional greeting and a military band that played Hail to the Chief and the Village People song – the band tune that has turned into a Trump rally anthem.

Leader Lee Jae Myung held an "honour ceremony" for the US leader during which he presented the president his state's highest medal and a model of an historical royal headpiece.

Midday meal with the Korean leader contained a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-covered chocolate squares. Subsequently, the South Koreans offered Trump fine beverage at an exclusive gathering in Trump's honour with six global figures attending the regional summit conference.

In the US, Trump may be the target of "No Kings" protests by Americans who reject his boundary-testing extensions of executive authority, but during his regional swing he was treated like royalty.

And like the monarchs of old, the president visited Korea demanding contribution – in the shape of $200bn in monetary contributions, $20 billion a per year, from Korea to the US, to be allocated at the direction of the president's government. Approval on the details of those payments assisted in that the duty level on Korean exports to the United States would fall from a quarter to fifteen percent.

The main event of Trump's regional visit came in its last moments, nevertheless, as he encountered Xi.

At that location, the authority balance between leaders of the planet's biggest economic powers was markedly divergent than the meetings the president had with his overseas colleagues in previous days.

Not present were the usual pomp and the pageantry. Lacking military bands, absent honour guards, no meticulously designed dining selections celebrating mutual national affection. Instead, the pair of counterparts and their top aides were seated across a long white meeting furniture in a plain armed forces facility just off the runway of Busan's air transport hub.

It was possibly a demonstration of the major consequences that when Trump exchanged greetings with Xi in the Korean city, he looked