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American leader visits overseas have historically been an occasion to showcase the power of the United States on the world stage. Donald Trump's five-day swing through Asian nations, on the other hand, has been a display of the power of Trump – but also, at times, of that power's constraints.

The president's destinations in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the course of the opening phase were an display in catering to a occasionally unpredictable US leader. It was an recognition that the leader, with the stroke of a hand, could enact taxes and additional actions that have the ability to harm the economies of trade-reliant states.

His meeting with Beijing's head Xi Jinping on the last day, nevertheless, was something entirely different.

It was a session of counterparts on the global stage, where the consequences for both nations – for their markets, for their global standing, for the prosperity of their people – were immense.

With Beijing, the president may use his power, but these moves entail repercussions. They involve a toll.

• Trump describes 'remarkable' talks with the Chinese leader but no pact reached
• The Chinese president and Trump establish temporary truce as China adopts strategic patience

For the initial phase, the president's most recent venture into world politics was smooth sailing.

Each stop was punctuated by a blend of traditional commercial discussions – agreements made under the pressure of Trump's "mutual" taxes – and personal accommodations that at points bordered on the subservient.

In the Malaysian stop, the president obtained access to key materials and made headway toward completing economic agreements with ASEAN countries. He also presided over a agreement that should ease frontier issues between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "peace agreement" the US leader enjoys to promote.

In Japan, the president's Marine One flew past a famous structure illuminated US flag colors – with a peak in Trumpian gold.

Newly elected Prime Minister Sanai Takaichi described $half-trillion in Japan's financial commitments in the United States and gave the US leader a offering of two hundred fifty flowering trees for America's semiquincentennial, and a sports gear and bag that came from Shinzo Abe, the murdered former prime minister who connected with Trump in his previous administration.

She also became the most recent international head to nominate Trump for his long-sought peace award.

Matching the effort, the Korean government greeted the president with guns discharging a honor salute and a service ensemble that performed the leader's song and the classic tune – the band tune that has evolved into a presidential event anthem.

Head the Korean president held an "recognition ritual" for Trump during which he gave the US president his country's highest medal and a copy of an historical royal headpiece.

Lunch with the Korean leader contained a "Conciliatory Treat" of gold-encrusted chocolate squares. Later that day, the Koreans offered Trump vineyard wine at an private meal in the president's honor with multiple international heads attending the regional summit meeting.

In the US, the president may be the subject of "Anti-Authority" protests by the public who reject his authority-expanding increases of presidential power, but during his regional visit he was received as monarchy.

And like the kings of ancient times, Trump arrived in South Korea seeking contribution – in the guise of $200 billion in financial transfers, $20bn a per year, from South Korea to the US, to be used at the discretion of Trump's administration. Agreement on the conditions of those contributions contributed to that the tax percentage on Korean products to the US would decrease from twenty-five percent to 15%.

The central moment of Trump's Asia trip took place in its concluding phase, nevertheless, as he encountered the Chinese leader.

At that location, the influence relationship between heads of the global top two markets was decidedly different than the interactions the president had with his international peers in earlier stops.

Missing were typical ceremony and the display. Without any military bands, no ceremonial troops, missing carefully crafted meal plans honoring bilateral friendship. By contrast, the two leaders and their senior advisors sat across a large pale meeting furniture in a unremarkable military building just adjacent to the landing strip of the southern port's international airport.

It was likely a demonstration of the high stakes that when Trump exchanged greetings with the Chinese leader in the Korean city, he looked