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American leader visits overseas have typically been an opportunity to showcase the power of the American nation on the global scene. Donald Trump's week-long trip through East Asia, on the other hand, has been a display of the clout of Trump – but also, at times, of that authority's limitations.

The president's visits in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the course of the first four days were an exercise in catering to a at times unpredictable president. It was an recognition that the leader, with the signature of a hand, could impose taxes and further steps that have the potential to damage the financial systems of export-dependent nations.

His meeting with China's president Xi on the last day, however, was a distinct situation.

It was a meeting of equals on the international scene, where the risks for both nations – for their financial health, for their world reputation, for the welfare of their populations – were enormous.

With the Chinese, the US leader may wave his power, but such actions entail ramifications. They come with a price.

• The US president describes 'remarkable' talks with Xi but no agreement finalized
• Xi and Trump find brief pause as Beijing plays longer game

For the first four days, Trump's latest venture into world politics was successful.

Each stop was punctuated by a combination of conventional trade negotiations – agreements made under the threat of Trump's "mutual" taxes – and special treatment that at moments bordered on the deferential.

In Malaysia, Trump obtained rights to critical minerals and made advances toward finalizing trade arrangements with ASEAN countries. He also oversaw a agreement that should ease frontier issues between Thailand and Cambodia – the sort of "peace agreement" the US leader enjoys to highlight.

In Japan, Trump's Marine One passed by a Tokyo Tower lit US flag colors – with a summit in gilded.

Recently chosen Head Sanai Takaichi outlined $half-trillion in Japan's financial commitments in the United States and gave the American president a gift of a quarter-thousand flowering trees for the United States' semiquincentennial, and a golf equipment and case that belonged to the late leader, the murdered past head who developed ties with the president in his first term.

She also became the most recent foreign leader to suggest Trump for his highly-coveted peace award.

Matching the effort, the Korean government received Trump with artillery performing a honor salute and a service ensemble that played Hail to the Chief and YMCA – the Village People song that has become a presidential event theme.

Leader Lee Jae Myung held an "award event" for Trump during which he presented the American leader his country's highest medal and a copy of an traditional ruler's coronet.

Noon repast with Lee contained a "Peacemaker's Dessert" of gilded baked goods. Later that day, the South Koreans offered the president premium vintage at an exclusive gathering in the president's honour with six global figures present at the APEC summit.

In the US, Trump may be the target of "No Kings" rallies by Americans who oppose his boundary-testing expansions of executive authority, but during his regional swing he was received as monarchy.

And like the kings of history, Trump came to the Korean nation demanding tribute – in the guise of $200bn in financial transfers, $20 billion a per year, from Korea to the United States, to be invested at the guidance of Trump's government. Consent on the conditions of those contributions assisted in that the tariff rate on Korean exports to the America would fall from a quarter to under twenty percent.

The main event of Trump's regional visit occurred in its last moments, however, as he sat down with Xi.

There, the authority balance between heads of the world's two largest economies was markedly divergent than the exchanges the president had with his foreign counterparts in previous days.

Missing were typical pomp and the display. No service ensembles, absent ceremonial troops, no carefully crafted dining selections celebrating bilateral friendship. By contrast, the pair of counterparts and their top aides were seated across a large pale meeting furniture in a plain armed forces facility just near the airstrip of Busan's air transport hub.

It was perhaps a demonstration of the high stakes that when the president exchanged greetings with Xi in the southern port, he looked