The People's Republic of China have put premium on security measures as it gears to host the G20 Summit in September.
For the Xi Jinping administration, hosting the G20 Summit in Hangzhou is another milestone for China.
Hangzhou has been cleared of most of its people where residents are off to a 7-day vacation with discounted tours for travels outside the city.
Migrant workers have left the area due to a temporary work stoppage. According to CNN's Andrew Stevens, the City is in virtual lockdown.
Law enforcement and security personnel are stationed every five to 10 meters at popular attractions like West Lake.
Hangzhou's remarkable transition from a low-cost manufacturer to a high-tech economic hub is the main reason why it has been chosen to host the G20.
With a population of only around nine million, China's small piece of promising land has been a key factor in influencing the country's culture and financial rise.
It should be noted that President Xi has resided in this place while serving as the province's Communist Party Chief. Just lately, e-commerce giant Alibaba openned in Hangzhou by local hero Jack Ma. Part of the city's appeal is the inclusion of the Chinese firm's mobile payment application called Alipay into China's shopping approach.
For Zhu Jiejan, an international relations expert at Shanghai's Fudan University, the G20 offers Beijing the chance, for the first time in history, to sit at the table as an equal partner with all major powers in the world in talking about the global economy.
It will be an opportunity for the regime to advance diplomatic relations with other world leaders like Indian President Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In a sense, China is pulling all the stops to ensure that everything goes flawlessly. The two-day summit has raked in a million volunteers which is 20 times as many at the recently-concluded Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The Group of 20 has put Beijing on center stage while it stakes its influence to a group that represents more than 80 percent of the global economy and world trade.
It is an opportunity for the Chinese to shine in the limelight at a time when the popular mood of the West sours toward globalization. With regards to the agenda, China is making sure that issues like its activities at the South China Sea and its overproduction of steel will not be included or discussed.
