President Barack Obama emerged from his plane and walked straight into a row over being “snubbed” when he arrived at the G20 summit in China - after he stepped from the aircraft’s built-in staircase without a ‘red carpet’ welcome.

All the other world leaders appeared to have been welcomed to the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou in traditional diplomatic style, treading onto a red carpet laid on a rolling airport staircase positioned outside the main exit of the aircraft.

Mr Obama, however, instead used Air Force One's smaller exit as he arrived on his final tour of Asia, sparking suggestions that he had been snubbed by his Chinese hosts.