China is hoping to cement its standing as a global power when it hosts leaders from the world's biggest economies this weekend, but suspects the West and its allies will try to deny Beijing what it sees as its rightful place on the international stage.
Ensuring that this does not happen will be one of President Xi Jinping's priorities, and a key mark of how successful China will judge the Group of 20 summit to be.
Beijing wants to use the meeting, in the tourist hub of Hangzhou on Sunday and Monday, to lay out a broad strategy for global growth, but talks are likely to be overshadowed by arguments over everything from territorial disputes to protectionism, diplomats said.