US President Barack Obama will hold his first face-to-face talk with our new prime minister on the margins of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Manila next week, the White House says.

Obama will meet in the Philippines with Malcolm Turnbull, after Australia signed up to a US-backed trans-Pacific free trade deal, known as the TPP.

“We clearly co-ordinate very closely with the Australians on many issues including the counter-ISIL (Islamic State) campaign, our commitment to maritime security and TPP, of which Australia is a critical member,” senior Obama foreign policy aide Ben Rhodes said.

PM Turnbull yesterday embarked on a five-nation tour, designed to introduce him to at least 20 leaders and to subtly put his own stamp on diplomatic priorities.

His first stop was Jakarta for a meeting with President Joko Widodo, before a face-to-face with Angela Merkel in Berlin today.

After their first formal talks on Thursday, President Widodo took Mr Turnbull along for one of his favourite pastimes, a “blusukan” — surprise visit — to the bustling Tanah Abang garment markets.

Thousands of Jakarta locals gave the leader they call Jokowi a spirited welcome, and although most didn’t recognise Mr Turnbull, they didn’t miss the photo opportunity.

The PM shook hands, posed for photos and got right into the spirit by snapping a selfie with Jokowi.

The “Turnbull-Jokowi selfie action” made a headline on website Detik.com, which quoted the president’s secretariat saying Mr Turnbull had requested the market visit “to see the new style leadership”.

“Turnbull’s wish came true,” the website reported. “He saw with his own eyes how thousands of Tanah Abang market visitors cheered the arrival of Jokowi-Turnbull.”

Mr Turnbull also experienced the famous Jakarta humidity, and was heavily sweating by the time he reached waiting reporters on the market’s second floor.

Thank you President @jokowi & people of Jakarta 4 such a warm welcome & good disc'ns about trade investment & jobs pic.twitter.com/hRgLMIL5cD — Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) November 12, 2015

Kompas.com reported a member of the presidential guard was bolting between stalls to fetch one of the VIP guests a tissue.

“Ma’am? Please? A good tissue, please?” he said, panicking, according to the website.

At the end of the visit, both leaders simultaneously took off their suit jackets and ties and left the marketplace high-fiving well wishers.

By this time they looked at ease, particularly Jokowi, who had adopted the white shirt — no jacket and no tie — as a kind of campaign uniform to match his humble, hardworking reputation. The English-language Jakarta Post newspaper hailed the market visit as “a display of affection” by Mr Turnbull’s host.

The more lighthearted news site Coconuts Jakarta toasted “a brighter, more bromantic future between Indonesia and Australia!”

The PM is the first foreign leader to accompany the president on blusukan, although Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined him at the same market last year.

Mr Turnbull departed Jakarta on Thursday night, with his overseas tour taking him next to Germany, before Turkey, the Philippines and Malaysia.