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American leader visits overseas have traditionally been an opportunity to display the strength of the US on the international platform. Donald Trump's multi-day tour through East Asia, on the other hand, has been a display of the clout of Trump – but also, at points, of that power's boundaries.

Trump's destinations in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the course of the opening phase were an exercise in catering to a occasionally unpredictable American president. It was an recognition that the leader, with the stroke of a pen, could introduce duties and additional actions that have the potential to devastate the economies of export-oriented nations.

His meeting with China's president Xi on the last day, nevertheless, was a completely different scenario.

It was a meeting of counterparts on the international scene, where the consequences for both nations – for their financial health, for their global standing, for the well-being of their populations – were immense.

With China, Trump may wave his authority, but such actions come with repercussions. They involve a toll.

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

Each destination was punctuated by a mix of traditional commercial discussions – arrangements made under the shadow of the president's "mutual" duties – and individual concessions that at times approached the subservient.

In Malaysia, Trump gained entry to essential resources and made advances toward completing trade arrangements with regional partners. He also presided over a treaty that should reduce territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia – the kind of "peace deal" the US leader enjoys to promote.

In Japan, Trump's helicopter flew past a landmark tower displayed US flag colors – with a summit in golden.

Recently chosen Leader the Japanese leader described $550bn in Japan's financial commitments in the America and presented the US leader a offering of a quarter-thousand sakura trees for America's 250th birthday, and a golf club and bag that belonged to former Prime Minister Abe, the killed ex-leader who bonded with the president in his previous administration.

She also became the most recent overseas counterpart to nominate Trump for his much-desired Nobel Peace Prize.

Keeping pace, Korea received the president with guns performing a 21-gun salute and a military band that performed the presidential anthem and the Village People song – the Village People song that has become a Trump rally standard.

Head Lee Jae Myung held an "award event" for Trump during which he presented the US president his state's top honor and a copy of an traditional ruler's coronet.

Noon repast with the Korean leader contained a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-encrusted chocolate squares. Subsequently, the South Koreans offered the president vineyard wine at an exclusive gathering in the president's recognition with six international heads participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference meeting.

In the America, Trump may be the focus of "Anti-Authority" rallies by US citizens who oppose his limit-pushing increases of presidential power, but during his Asian visit he was received as nobility.

And like the rulers of ancient times, the president arrived in Korea demanding contribution – in the shape of $200bn in cash payments, $20bn a per year, from the host nation to the US, to be allocated at the guidance of Trump's administration. Agreement on the details of those payments helped ensure that the tax percentage on Korean exports to the America would fall from 25% to 15%.

The central moment of the president's Asia trip came in its concluding phase, though, as he met with the Chinese leader.

There, the influence relationship between heads of the global top two markets was noticeably different than the interactions the president had with his overseas colleagues in earlier stops.

Missing were the usual pomp and the spectacle. Without any armed forces orchestras, no honour guards, no meticulously designed dining selections marking bilateral friendship. By contrast, the two leaders and their senior advisors positioned themselves across a extended light-colored meeting furniture in a plain service structure just near the airstrip of the city of Busan's global terminal.

It was perhaps a reflection of the major consequences that when the president shook hands with Xi in Busan, he looked