US President Barack Obama said on Thursday he shook hands with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte the day before, in a short interaction.

Obama had cancelled a formal meeting with Duterte after the new Philippine leader used a crude schoolyard epithet to insult the president and warn him not to bring up extrajudicial killings in the Philippines during their meeting.

But, Obama's final stop in Laos included an informal conversation with Duterte on the sidelines of a summit he attended there. (Associated Press)