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Presidential journeys internationally have traditionally been an chance to demonstrate the strength of the United States on the world stage. Trump's five-day trip through Asian nations, conversely, has been a display of the power of the president – but also, at points, of that authority's constraints.

The president's visits in Malaysia, Japan and Korea over the span of the opening phase were an demonstration in pleasing a sometimes unpredictable president. It was an acknowledgement that the president, with the signature of a hand, could impose tariffs and further steps that have the ability to damage the financial systems of trade-reliant nations.

His discussion with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, nevertheless, was something entirely different.

It was a encounter of counterparts on the world platform, where the risks for the two powers – for their economies, for their international prestige, for the prosperity of their people – were immense.

With the Chinese, the president may wave his power, but such actions come with ramifications. They involve a price.

• Trump describes 'impressive' encounter with Xi but no pact finalized
• The Chinese president and the US leader reach brief pause as China plays longer game

For the first four days, the president's recent venture into world politics was smooth sailing.

Each stop was marked by a combination of conventional economic talks – agreements made under the shadow of the president's "reciprocal" duties – and special treatment that at points bordered on the obsequious.

In Malaysia, the president secured entry to key materials and made advances toward concluding economic agreements with south-east Asian nations. He also presided over a treaty that should reduce frontier issues between Thailand and Cambodia – the kind of "peace deal" the US leader loves to highlight.

In the Japanese leg, the president's Marine One passed by a Tokyo Tower lit US flag colors – with a summit in golden.

Freshly appointed Leader Sanai Takaichi detailed $550 billion in Japan's financial commitments in the United States and offered the US leader a gift of 250 sakura trees for America's 250th anniversary, and a golf equipment and case that came from Shinzo Abe, the killed ex-leader who connected with the president in his previous administration.

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

Keeping pace, the Korean government welcomed the president with artillery discharging a traditional greeting and a armed forces orchestra that rendered the presidential anthem and the classic tune – the musical group song that has turned into a presidential event anthem.

President Lee Jae Myung held an "honour ceremony" for the US leader during which he gave the president his state's highest medal and a copy of an ancient Korean dynastic crown.

Lunch with the Korean leader included a "Diplomat's Sweet" of gold-covered brownies. Afterward, the South Koreans offered Trump vineyard wine at an intimate dinner in Trump's honour with half-dozen global figures present at the regional summit summit.

In the America, the president may be the target of "No Kings" demonstrations by Americans who oppose his boundary-testing increases of leader's control, but during his Asian swing he was treated like monarchy.

And like the kings of history, the president came to the Korean nation requesting contribution – in the form of $200bn in financial transfers, $20 billion a per year, from Korea to the America, to be allocated at the direction of the president's government. Agreement on the details of those payments contributed to that the duty level on host nation exports to the United States would fall from a quarter to under twenty percent.

The central moment of Trump's Asian tour came in its last moments, though, as he encountered Xi.

In that setting, the influence relationship between counterparts of the global top two markets was markedly different than the exchanges the president had with his international peers in previous days.

Not present were all the pageantry and the display. No service ensembles, absent protocol units, missing thoughtfully prepared dining selections marking bilateral friendship. By contrast, the pair of counterparts and their top aides were seated across a long white negotiating table in a nondescript armed forces facility just off the runway of Busan's global terminal.

It was perhaps a reflection of the significant risks that when Trump made contact with the Chinese leader in the Korean city, he appeared