US President Barack Obama has begun a seven-day trip to four Asian countries. His first stop is in Japan, followed by Singapore, China and South Korea.

He is meeting the new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to discuss the removal or reduction of US bases on the Okinawa islands. Afghanistan, climate change and a nuclear-free world are also on the agenda.

In Singapore the president will go to a summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), attended by Myanmar officials. He will be the first US president to talk to all ten ASEAN leaders.

Then the president will travel on to Beijing where he will speak with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao about the world economy, human rights in China and Tibet.

President Obama ends his tour in South Korea, which is concerned by neighbouring North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

Photo: US President Barack Obama -Flickr / transplanted mountaineer