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American leader visits overseas have historically been an opportunity to showcase the influence of the United States on the global scene. Trump's week-long trip through East Asia, by contrast, has been a display of the authority of the leader – but also, at moments, of that influence's boundaries.

The president's visits in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the course of the opening phase were an exercise in catering to a sometimes unpredictable president. It was an acknowledgement that Trump, with the stroke of a document, could enact duties and further steps that have the potential to devastate the financial systems of trade-reliant states.

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

It was a encounter of counterparts on the international scene, where the consequences for the two powers – for their economies, for their international prestige, for the welfare of their citizens – were immense.

With China, the president may flick his power, but those steps involve consequences. They carry a price.

• Trump hails 'amazing' meeting with Xi but no agreement finalized
• Xi and Trump reach brief pause as China adopts strategic patience

For the first four days, Trump's recent venture into world politics was uneventful.

Each destination was punctuated by a combination of traditional trade negotiations – agreements made under the threat of Trump's "equivalent" taxes – and personal accommodations that at moments approached the subservient.

In Malaysia, Trump gained entry to key materials and made progress toward completing commercial deals with south-east Asian nations. He also led a treaty that should reduce frontier issues between Thailand and Cambodia – the kind of "peace deal" the president loves to highlight.

In the Japanese leg, the president's helicopter soared near a Tokyo Tower displayed US flag colors – with a peak in Trumpian gold.

Newly elected Leader Sanai Takaichi detailed $550bn in Japan's financial commitments in the America and presented the American president a gift of a quarter-thousand cherry trees for the United States' 250th anniversary, and a golf equipment and case that came from Shinzo Abe, the killed former prime minister who bonded with the president in his initial presidency.

She also became the latest overseas counterpart to propose the president for his highly-coveted international honor.

Matching the effort, Korea welcomed the president with cannons firing a 21-gun salute and a armed forces orchestra that performed the leader's song and the Village People song – the musical group song that has evolved into a political gathering anthem.

Leader the Korean president held an "honour ceremony" for Trump during which he presented the president his country's premier award and a replica of an traditional ruler's coronet.

Noon repast with the Korean leader contained a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gilded baked goods. Later that day, the Koreans offered the president premium vintage at an private meal in the president's honor with half-dozen global figures present at the APEC summit.

In the US, Trump may be the target of "Anti-Authority" rallies by Americans who oppose his authority-expanding increases of executive authority, but during his Asian tour he was received as royalty.

And like the monarchs of history, the president arrived in South Korea demanding contribution – in the form of $two hundred billion in financial transfers, $20 billion a year, from South Korea to the US, to be allocated at the guidance of Trump's leadership. Consent on the details of those payments contributed to that the tariff rate on host nation exports to the America would decrease from 25% to fifteen percent.

The primary focus of Trump's Asia trip took place in its last moments, nevertheless, as he met with Xi.

In that setting, the authority balance between heads of the planet's biggest economic powers was noticeably divergent than the meetings Trump had with his international peers in prior visits.

Missing were typical pageantry and the pageantry. Lacking military bands, without ceremonial troops, missing carefully crafted meal plans honoring bilateral friendship. By contrast, the two leaders and their top aides were seated across a large pale negotiating table in a unremarkable military building just off the runway of the city of Busan's global terminal.

It was perhaps a indication of the high stakes that when the president shook hands with Xi in Busan, he seemed