Barack Obama in Asia

President Barack Obama, accompanied by the South Korean president, Lee Myung-Bak, attends a welcome ceremony at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea Photograph: Kim Jae-hwan/AP

Obama bows before Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan as he arrives at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP

Residents of Obama City, in Fukui prefecture, wait for the US president to pass in front of them in Tokyo Photograph: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images

Audience members take pictures of Obama as he speaks at Suntory Hall, in Tokyo Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

A protest against Obama's visit in Seoul, South Korea Photograph: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Obama's car arrives at the Istana palace, where the president was meeting Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong Photograph: Vivek Prakash/Reuters

Obama with Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders, from left: Japan's prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama; the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; the prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong; and China's president, Hu Jintao Photograph: Barbara Walton/EPA

The Malaysian prime minister, Najib Tun Razak; the Burmese PM, Thein Sein; the Philippines president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; the Singapore PM, Lee Hsien Loong; Barack Obama; and the Thai PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva, at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Singapore Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Obama meets Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Singapore Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

The spot where Obama was meant to stand during the declaration ceremony at the end of the the Apec summit in Singapore. Obama did not attend the ceremony Photograph: Michael Fiala/Reuters

Students hold posters of Obama after a town hall-style meeting with him at the Museum of Science and Technology in Shanghai Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters

Obama listens to a question from the audience at the meeting in Shanghai Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

Obama greets students after the event Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP

Obama shakes hands with the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, after a joint press conference at the Great Hall of People in Beijing Photograph: Feng Li/Getty Images

Chinese troops at a welcoming ceremony for Obama at the Great Hall of the People Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

A bilateral meeting for the leaders at the Great Hall of the People Photograph: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Obama and the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, at the Great Hall of the People Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters

Obama and entourage visit the Forbidden City Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

Obama visits the Forbidden City in Beijing Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Obama jokes as he tours the Forbidden City Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters

Obama visits the Forbidden City in Beijing Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

Waitresses stand outside the meeting between Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing Photograph: David Gray/EPA

President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao prior to a meeting at the Diaoyutai state guest house in Beijing Photograph: David Gray/AP

Chinese police walk up the Great Wall of China to be in position before the arrival of US President Barack Obama for a tour in Badaling Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters

Barack Obama tours the Great Wall of China at Badaling Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters

President Barack Obama tours the Great Wall of China in Badaling Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama tours the Great Wall of China in Badaling with Chinese Ambassador to the US Zhou Wenzhong Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama's motorcade leaves the Badaling section of The Great Wall of China Photograph: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama arrives at a US military airbase in Osan, South Korea. Obama is in South Korea for two days as the final destination of his first Asia tour as the US President Photograph: Lee Yong-Ho/Getty Images

South Korean activists shout welcome slogans and hold portraits of Obama during a pro-US rally near the US Embassy in Seoul, South Korea Photograph: Jeon Heon-kyun/EPA

Obama and Myung-bak inspect an honour guard during a welcome ceremony at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Obama speaks during a joint press conference with Myung-bak at the presidential Blue House in Seoul Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Obama displays his skills in the Korean martial art of taekwondo at the presidential office in Seoul. Myung-bak gave him a taekwondo uniform and black belt as a gift during his visit. Obama is known to have studied the martial art for four years from 2001, when he was a senator in Illinois Photograph: Yonhapnews Agency/EPA

Obama greets US troops at Osan Air Base, south of Seoul Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Obama speaks at a rally of US troops at Osan Air Force Base Photograph: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images