US presidential trips abroad have traditionally been an opportunity to display the power of the American nation on the world stage. Donald Trump's five-day swing through eastern Asia, on the other hand, has been a display of the power of Trump - but also, at times, of that power's limitations.
Trump's stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea over the course of the first four days were an exercise in pleasing a sometimes mercurial American president. It was an acknowledgment that Trump, with the flick of a pen, could impose tariffs and other measures that have the potential to devastate the economies of export-dependent nations.
His sit-down with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, however, was something entirely different.
It was a meeting of equals on the global stage, where the stakes for both nations – for their economies, for their international prestige, for the welfare of their people - were enormous.
With China, Trump may flick his pen, but such actions come with consequences. They come with a cost.
For the first four days, Trump's most recent foray into global diplomacy was smooth sailing. Each stop was punctuated by a blend of traditional trade negotiations – deals made under the shadow of Trump's reciprocal tariffs – and personal accommodations that at times bordered on the obsequious.
In Malaysia, Trump secured access to critical minerals and made progress toward finalizing trade arrangements with Southeast Asian nations. He also presided over a treaty that should ease border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia – the kind of peace deal the American president loves to tout.
In Japan, Trump's Marine One flew past a Tokyo Tower lit red, white, and blue – with a top in Trumpian gold. Newly elected Prime Minister Sanai Takaichi detailed $550bn in Japanese investments in the US and offered the American president various symbolic gifts.
South Korea welcomed Trump with celebratory honors, including a 21-gun salute and a military band playing familiar Trump rally songs. The reverence shown to him in East Asia starkly contrasted with the divisive reception he sometimes faces at home.
However, the main event of Trump's Asia trip came in its final hours, as he met with Xi. Here, the power dynamic between the leaders differed significantly from Trump's interactions with other counterparts.
Missing were all the pomp and the pageantry. Instead, the two leaders and their aides sat across a long negotiating table in a nondescript military building.
Trump appeared tense during the handshake with Xi amidst looming tariffs and escalations from both sides. However, after the meeting, he expressed optimism, describing it as amazing.
The two nations agreed to ease tariffs and pledged to resume agricultural imports. Yet, while the immediate situation appeared to improve, the broader implications for US-China relations remain complex and fraught with potential for future friction.
As Xi noted, it's normal for the two leading economies in the world to have frictions now and then. This prescient acknowledgment suggests that challenges will persist even as both sides seek a cooperative path forward.
China's ambitions and the reevaluation of traditional alliances could reshape the international order that follows. Trump may have returned to the US with favorable outcomes from his tour, but the real test will be how these moves impact American interests in a rapidly changing global context.
