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US presidential trips internationally have traditionally been an chance to display the influence of the American nation on the world stage. Trump's five-day tour through eastern Asia, conversely, has been a show of the power of the president – but also, at points, of that influence's boundaries.

Trump's stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the course of the initial days were an demonstration in catering to a at times volatile American president. It was an admission that Trump, with the stroke of a document, could impose taxes and further steps that have the capacity to harm the markets of trade-reliant countries.

His sit-down with Beijing's head Xi Jinping on the final day, though, was a completely different scenario.

It was a encounter of peers on the world platform, where the consequences for the two powers – for their markets, for their world reputation, for the well-being of their citizens – were enormous.

With China, the president may wave his power, but such actions involve consequences. They come with a toll.

• Trump praises 'amazing' meeting with Xi but no agreement finalized
• The Chinese president and Trump establish brief pause as China pursues extended strategy

For the initial phase, the president's recent venture into international relations was successful.

Each visit was characterized by a blend of standard commercial discussions – deals made under the threat of the president's "equivalent" taxes – and personal accommodations that at times verged on the deferential.

In Malaysia, Trump secured access to critical minerals and made advances toward completing trade arrangements with south-east Asian nations. He also oversaw a pact that should reduce territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia – the sort of "peace deal" the US leader loves to highlight.

In Japan, the president's official aircraft passed by a famous structure lit US flag colors – with a peak in gilded.

Newly elected Leader Sanai Takaichi outlined $half-trillion in Japan's financial commitments in the US and gave the president a offering of 250 flowering trees for the United States' 250th anniversary, and a sports gear and case that belonged to the late leader, the assassinated ex-leader who connected with the president in his previous administration.

She also became the most recent overseas counterpart to suggest the president for his much-desired peace award.

Matching the effort, South Korea welcomed Trump with cannons discharging a honor salute and a military band that rendered the presidential anthem and the Village People song – the musical group anthem that has turned into a presidential event anthem.

President Lee held an "award event" for Trump during which he awarded the president his nation's top honor and a model of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Lunch with the Korean leader included a "Conciliatory Treat" of gilded chocolate squares. Subsequently, the hosts served Trump vineyard wine at an exclusive gathering in the president's honour with multiple global figures present at the APEC meeting.

In the US, Trump may be the focus of "Anti-Authority" rallies by the public who disapprove of his limit-pushing extensions of presidential power, but during his Asian visit he was handled as royalty.

And like the rulers of history, Trump arrived in South Korea seeking contribution – in the guise of $200bn in cash payments, $20bn a year, from the host nation to the United States, to be invested at the guidance of Trump's leadership. Approval on the terms of those contributions helped ensure that the tariff rate on Korean goods to the America would drop from 25% to 15%.

The main event of the president's Asian tour took place in its last moments, though, as he sat down with the Chinese leader.

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

Absent were all the pomp and the spectacle. Lacking armed forces orchestras, without ceremonial troops, without thoughtfully prepared menus celebrating bilateral friendship. By contrast, the pair of counterparts and their top aides were seated across a long white meeting furniture in a unremarkable service structure just near the airstrip of Busan's international airport.

It was possibly a demonstration of the high stakes that when the president made contact with the Chinese leader in Busan, he appeared