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American leader visits abroad have traditionally been an opportunity to showcase the power of the United States on the world stage. Donald Trump's five-day trip through East Asia, on the other hand, has been a display of the clout of the leader – but also, at moments, of that authority's limitations.

Trump's stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea over the course of the initial days were an demonstration in satisfying a at times unpredictable American president. It was an recognition that the president, with the stroke of a document, could enact tariffs and additional actions that have the capacity to harm the markets of trade-reliant nations.

His discussion with Beijing's head Xi Jinping on the final day, nevertheless, was a completely different scenario.

It was a encounter of equals on the world platform, where the risks for each country – for their financial health, for their international prestige, for the welfare of their people – were significant.

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

• The US president describes 'amazing' talks with the Chinese leader but no trade deal finalized
• The Chinese president and Trump reach brief pause as China pursues extended strategy

For the opening segment, the president's recent venture into world politics was successful.

Each stop was punctuated by a combination of standard economic talks – arrangements made under the threat of the president's "mutual" taxes – and special treatment that at moments approached the obsequious.

In the Malaysian stop, the president obtained entry to essential resources and made headway toward finalizing commercial deals with regional partners. He also presided over a agreement that should alleviate border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia – the kind of "truce" the US leader prefers to promote.

In the Japanese leg, the president's official aircraft passed by a famous structure displayed red, white and blue – with a top in golden.

Newly elected Leader Sanai Takaichi outlined $550 billion in Japan's financial commitments in the US and gave the president a gift of 250 cherry trees for America's 250th birthday, and a golf equipment and bag that came from former Prime Minister Abe, the assassinated former prime minister who bonded with Trump in his previous administration.

She also became the most recent international head to nominate the president for his long-sought Nobel Peace Prize.

Not to be outdone, Korea received the president with cannons firing a 21-gun salute and a service ensemble that performed the leader's song and YMCA – the band song that has turned into a Trump rally standard.

Leader the Korean president held an "honour ceremony" for the US leader during which he presented the US president his country's top honor and a copy of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Lunch with the Korean leader contained a "Conciliatory Treat" of gold-covered brownies. Subsequently, the South Koreans provided the president fine beverage at an exclusive gathering in the president's honor with half-dozen international heads present at the APEC meeting.

In the America, Trump may be the focus of "Anti-Authority" demonstrations by US citizens who reject his boundary-testing increases of executive authority, but during his regional tour he was handled as monarchy.

And like the rulers of ancient times, the president visited South Korea seeking contribution – in the form of $200bn in cash payments, $20 billion a per year, from South Korea to the America, to be used at the discretion of the president's administration. Approval on the details of those transfers contributed to that the duty level on South Korean products to the America would decrease from 25% to under twenty percent.

The central moment of Trump's regional visit came in its final hours, nevertheless, as he sat down with the Chinese leader.

In that setting, the authority balance between leaders of the world's two largest economies was markedly divergent than the exchanges Trump had with his international peers in prior visits.

Missing were the usual ceremony and the pageantry. No service ensembles, absent honour guards, without carefully crafted dining selections honoring shared goodwill. By contrast, the pair of counterparts and their top aides were seated across a extended light-colored discussion surface in a unremarkable service structure just near the airstrip of Busan's global terminal.

It was perhaps a demonstration of the high stakes that when Trump made contact with Xi in the southern port, he looked