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 acknowledgement 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 finalising trade arrangements with south-east 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 a gift of 250 cherry trees for America's 250th birthday, along with a golf club belonging to the assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe. South Korea welcomed Trump with a 21-gun salute and honored him with the nation’s highest medal and a replica of an ancient crown.
Yet the main event of Trump's Asia trip came in its final hours, however, as he met with Xi. Missing were all the pomp and the pageantry. Instead, the two leaders and their top aides sat across a long white negotiating table in a nondescript military building just off the runway of Busan's international airport.
When Trump shook hands with Xi in Busan, he appeared tense. For months, he had been threatening higher tariffs on Chinese exports to the US. Yet after a tense back-and-forth, both leaders agreed to de-escalate tensions—signaling a recognition that the ongoing situation was unsustainable.
The international order that will take its place, however, is far from clear. As Xi acknowledged in his opening remarks, It is normal for the two leading economies in the world to have frictions now and then. Looking ahead, it appears both leaders will need to navigate their nations' ambitions and pressures as they seek to balance power in the Asia-Pacific region.
