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Presidential journeys overseas have traditionally been an opportunity to display the influence of the US on the world stage. The president's multi-day tour through East Asia, on the other hand, has been a display of the authority of the president – but also, at times, of that influence's constraints.

The president's stops in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the duration of the first four days were an exercise in satisfying a sometimes unpredictable president. It was an recognition that Trump, with the signature of a document, could impose tariffs and additional actions that have the ability to devastate the markets of trade-reliant states.

His discussion with China's president Xi Jinping on the last day, nevertheless, was a distinct situation.

It was a meeting of counterparts on the international scene, where the risks for each country – for their financial health, for their international prestige, for the welfare of their citizens – were significant.

With Beijing, the US leader may flick his power, but these moves come with ramifications. They carry a toll.

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For the first four days, the president's recent entry into global diplomacy was smooth sailing.

Each destination was punctuated by a blend of standard trade negotiations – deals made under the shadow of Trump's "mutual" taxes – and special treatment that at moments approached the subservient.

In the Malaysian stop, the president obtained entry to key materials and made progress toward finalizing economic agreements with regional partners. He also oversaw a agreement that should ease territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia – the type of "peace deal" the president loves to highlight.

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

Recently chosen Leader the Japanese leader described $550 billion in Tokyo's funding in the United States and presented the US leader a gift of a quarter-thousand sakura trees for the United States' semiquincentennial, and a golf equipment and carrier that belonged to Shinzo Abe, the killed past head who connected with Trump in his initial presidency.

She also became the most recent overseas counterpart to nominate Trump for his long-sought Nobel Peace Prize.

Matching the effort, Korea greeted the president with artillery performing a 21-gun salute and a armed forces orchestra that played the presidential anthem and the Village People song – the musical group song that has become a presidential event standard.

President Lee held an "recognition ritual" for Trump during which he presented the US president his nation's premier award and a replica of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Midday meal with Lee featured a "Conciliatory Treat" of gold-covered baked goods. Subsequently, the South Koreans served the president vineyard wine at an exclusive gathering in the president's honour with half-dozen world leaders present at the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference summit.

In the US, Trump may be the subject of "Anti-Monarchy" protests by Americans who oppose his authority-expanding expansions of leader's control, but during his East Asia swing he was treated like nobility.

And like the rulers of ancient times, the president visited the Korean nation demanding tribute – in the form of $200bn in cash payments, $20 billion a per year, from Korea to the United States, to be allocated at the direction of Trump's government. Agreement on the details of those payments assisted in that the duty level on host nation goods to the US would drop from twenty-five percent to 15%.

The primary focus of Trump's regional visit took place in its final hours, though, as he encountered Xi.

At that location, the power dynamic between heads of the world's two largest economies was decidedly divergent than the interactions Trump had with his international peers in prior visits.

Missing were all the ceremony and the pageantry. No service ensembles, no protocol units, missing thoughtfully prepared menus honoring mutual national affection. By contrast, the pair of counterparts and their senior advisors were seated across a long white meeting furniture in a plain service structure just adjacent to the landing strip of the city of Busan's air transport hub.

It was possibly a indication of the high stakes that when Trump made contact with the Chinese leader in the southern port, he appeared