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Presidential journeys overseas have historically been an opportunity to showcase the strength of the United States on the global scene. Donald Trump's five-day trip through eastern Asia, by contrast, has been a display of the clout of the president – but also, at points, of that power's constraints.

The president's destinations in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the span of the initial days were an display in pleasing a sometimes volatile American president. It was an recognition that the leader, with the stroke of a pen, could impose tariffs and additional actions that have the ability to harm the economies of export-dependent states.

His meeting with Beijing's head Xi on the final day, though, was something entirely different.

It was a encounter of equals on the international scene, where the stakes for each country – for their economies, for their world reputation, for the welfare of their people – were enormous.

With China, the US leader may wave his pen, but these moves entail consequences. They come with a cost.

• The US president praises 'amazing' encounter with the Chinese leader but no agreement finalized
• Xi and Trump find short-term ceasefire as Beijing adopts strategic patience

For the first four days, Trump's latest venture into global diplomacy was smooth sailing.

Each destination was marked by a combination of traditional commercial discussions – agreements made under the shadow of Trump's "mutual" taxes – and special treatment that at moments approached the deferential.

In Malaysia, the president gained rights to key materials and made progress toward concluding economic agreements with south-east Asian nations. He also led a pact that should ease territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia – the sort of "truce" the US leader prefers to tout.

In the Japanese leg, the president's helicopter soared near a famous structure illuminated red, white and blue – with a top in golden.

Recently chosen Prime Minister Takaichi outlined $550bn in Japanese investments in the United States and gave the president a gift of two hundred fifty flowering trees for America's semiquincentennial, and a golf equipment and bag that came from Shinzo Abe, the killed past head who connected with Trump in his initial presidency.

She also became the newest overseas counterpart to nominate the president for his highly-coveted peace award.

Matching the effort, Korea received the president with guns performing a traditional greeting and a armed forces orchestra that played Hail to the Chief and the classic tune – the band song that has evolved into a political gathering theme.

Head 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 historical royal headpiece.

Lunch with Lee contained a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gilded chocolate squares. Subsequently, the South Koreans provided Trump vineyard wine at an intimate dinner in the president's honour with multiple global figures present at the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference conference.

In the US, Trump may be the subject of "No Kings" rallies by US citizens who disapprove of his boundary-testing expansions of leader's control, but during his regional tour he was received as monarchy.

And like the kings of old, the president arrived in the Korean nation demanding payment – in the shape of $200 billion in financial transfers, $twenty billion a per year, from Korea to the America, to be allocated at the direction of Trump's administration. Approval on the details of those transfers contributed to that the tax percentage on Korean goods to the America would fall from a quarter to fifteen percent.

The main event of the president's Asian tour occurred in its final hours, though, as he met with Xi.

At that location, the authority balance between heads of the planet's biggest economic powers was markedly distinct than the meetings the president had with his foreign counterparts in prior visits.

Absent were all the pomp and the pageantry. No armed forces orchestras, absent protocol units, missing carefully crafted menus honoring mutual national affection. By contrast, the both heads and their key staff sat across a long white meeting furniture in a plain service structure just near the airstrip of Busan's international airport.

It was perhaps a indication of the major consequences that when the president shook hands with Xi in the Korean city, he seemed