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Presidential journeys abroad have typically been an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of the US on the global scene. Donald Trump's five-day tour through Asian nations, on the other hand, has been a demonstration of the power of Trump – but also, at points, of that power's constraints.

The president's destinations in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the course of the initial days were an display in catering to a occasionally unpredictable president. It was an admission that Trump, with the signature of a hand, could enact taxes and other measures that have the potential to harm the markets of export-oriented nations.

His sit-down with Beijing's head Xi on the last day, however, was something entirely different.

It was a encounter of equals on the world platform, where the consequences for the two powers – for their financial health, for their international prestige, for the welfare of their populations – were immense.

With China, the US leader may use his authority, but such actions come with consequences. They involve a toll.

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For the first four days, the president's most recent venture into international relations was successful.

Each destination was characterized by a mix of standard trade negotiations – deals made under the pressure of the president's "equivalent" duties – and special treatment that at times approached the deferential.

In the Malaysian stop, the president gained access to essential resources and made headway toward finalizing commercial deals with regional partners. He also oversaw a pact that should reduce frontier issues between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "peace agreement" the American president enjoys to highlight.

In the Japanese leg, the president's Marine One passed by a famous structure displayed US flag colors – with a top in Trumpian gold.

Freshly appointed Prime Minister Takaichi described $550 billion in Japan's financial commitments in the US and offered the American president a gift of 250 sakura trees for America's 250th anniversary, and a sports gear and case that belonged to former Prime Minister Abe, the assassinated former prime minister who bonded with the president in his first term.

She also became the most recent international head to nominate the president for his highly-coveted international honor.

Not to be outdone, South Korea welcomed the president with cannons discharging a traditional greeting and a service ensemble that played Hail to the Chief and YMCA – the band tune that has become a Trump rally anthem.

Head Lee held an "honour ceremony" for the US leader during which he gave the president his state's highest medal and a copy of an historical royal headpiece.

Lunch with the Korean leader contained a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-covered chocolate squares. Afterward, the hosts offered the president premium vintage at an intimate dinner in the president's honor with half-dozen international heads present at the regional summit summit.

In the United States, Trump may be the focus of "Anti-Monarchy" demonstrations by the public who disapprove of his boundary-testing increases of presidential power, but during his Asian visit he was handled as royalty.

And like the kings of history, the president visited the Korean nation demanding tribute – in the shape of $200bn in cash payments, $20 billion a year, from the host nation to the US, to be invested at the discretion of Trump's government. Agreement on the conditions of those payments contributed to that the tax percentage on Korean goods to the United States would decrease from 25% to 15%.

The main event of Trump's regional visit came in its final hours, nevertheless, as he encountered Xi.

In that setting, the authority balance between heads of the world's two largest economies was decidedly divergent than the interactions the president had with his overseas colleagues in prior visits.

Not present were typical pageantry and the display. Without any armed forces orchestras, without protocol units, missing carefully crafted menus celebrating mutual national affection. By contrast, the both heads and their senior advisors positioned themselves across a long white discussion surface in a nondescript military building just off the runway of Busan's international airport.

It was likely a demonstration of the major consequences that when the president made contact with Xi in the southern port, he seemed