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US presidential trips internationally have typically been an occasion to display the power of the American nation on the global scene. Donald Trump's five-day trip through East Asia, on the other hand, has been a demonstration of the clout of the leader – but also, at times, of that influence's constraints.

Trump's visits in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the course of the initial days were an demonstration in pleasing a occasionally volatile president. It was an acknowledgement that the president, with the flick of a hand, could impose tariffs and additional actions that have the ability to damage the financial systems of trade-reliant nations.

His discussion with Beijing's head Xi on the last day, though, was a distinct situation.

It was a meeting of counterparts on the world platform, where the stakes for each country – for their economies, for their world reputation, for the welfare of their populations – were enormous.

With the Chinese, Trump may use his power, but such actions entail ramifications. They involve a price.

• The US president praises 'amazing' talks with Xi but no trade deal finalized
• Xi and the US leader establish brief pause as China plays longer game

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

Each stop was characterized by a blend of traditional economic talks – agreements made under the shadow of the president's "equivalent" taxes – and personal accommodations that at moments verged on the deferential.

In the Malaysian stop, the president secured entry to essential resources and made headway toward finalizing commercial deals with ASEAN countries. He also presided over a agreement that should alleviate border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia – the kind of "truce" the American president loves to tout.

In Japan, the president's helicopter soared near a famous structure illuminated US flag colors – with a top in gilded.

Recently chosen Head Sanai Takaichi detailed $550 billion in Tokyo's funding in the America and presented the American president a gift of 250 flowering trees for America's 250th birthday, and a golf club and bag that came from the late leader, the killed ex-leader who developed ties with the president in his first term.

She also became the latest overseas counterpart to nominate the president for his long-sought Nobel Peace Prize.

Not to be outdone, the Korean government welcomed the president with cannons discharging a 21-gun salute and a armed forces orchestra that performed the presidential anthem and the classic tune – the Village People anthem that has turned into a Trump rally theme.

Head Lee Jae Myung held an "award event" for the US leader during which he gave the president his nation's premier award and a copy of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Midday meal with Lee included a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gilded chocolate squares. Afterward, the hosts offered Trump premium vintage at an intimate dinner in Trump's honour with multiple global figures participating in the APEC summit.

In the United States, Trump may be the target of "Anti-Monarchy" rallies by the public who oppose his boundary-testing increases of leader's control, but during his regional tour he was treated like monarchy.

And like the rulers of old, Trump visited South Korea demanding tribute – in the shape of $200 billion in monetary contributions, $twenty billion a year, from Korea to the United States, to be invested at the direction of the president's leadership. Approval on the details of those contributions contributed to that the duty level on Korean exports to the US would decrease from twenty-five percent to 15%.

The main event of the president's Asian tour came in its concluding phase, however, as he encountered the Chinese leader.

There, the power dynamic between heads of the planet's biggest economic powers was noticeably distinct than the exchanges the president had with his overseas colleagues in earlier stops.

Not present were all the ceremony and the pageantry. Lacking service ensembles, without protocol units, no carefully crafted meal plans marking mutual national affection. Rather, the both heads and their senior advisors were seated across a large pale negotiating table in a unremarkable service structure just adjacent to the landing strip of Busan's international airport.

It was perhaps a indication of the significant risks that when Trump shook hands with Xi in the Korean city, he looked