Full coverage: G20 Hangzhou Summit
Hangzhou has kicked off its 100 day countdown to this year's G20 Summit. Local officials held a press conference Friday on the city's preparations.
In just 100 days, leaders of the G20 countries will gather in Hangzhou in east China’s Zhejiang province, to discuss key issues facing the world.
The summit will be the most important international event to take place in China this year.
Hangzhou is busy making final preparations.
The city’s top Party official Zhao Yide says construction of all of the main venues and facilities has been completed.
"We hope by upgrading the city’s infrastructure we can provide a clean and nice environment for the summit. This will not only improve the city image, but also benefit the lives of locals," Zhao said.
During the two-day summit, leaders of G20 countries, as well as important business leaders and international media will flood into Hangzhou.
Putting one of China's greatest cities under a global spotlight.
"For Hangzhou, hosting the G20 summit can mean opening a window to the outside world -- to showcase the achievements made under Chinese reforms and modernization campaigns. We would also like to promote Hangzhou’s beautiful scenery, rich history, and cultural background. We want to take this opportunity to upgrade facilities and promote Hangzhou as an international city," Zhao said.
Hangzhou is the capital city of one of China’s most economic and dynamic provinces -- Zhejiang.
The local economy is booming. Hangzhou's GDP growth rate hit 10.2 percent last year, way higher than the country’s annual GDP growth rate of 6.9 percent.
Hangzhou is globally renowned as a hub for e-commerce, a center for China’s dynamic private enterprises, and a key innovation center.
The city's creative sector is also growing fast.
Hangzhou is also a key region for reform and innovation, two priorities high on the Chinese government's agenda.
G20 leaders and world business leaders will gather here in Hangzhou this September to see how innovation can boost growth, and how reform and coordinated efforts can revive economies. The world is looking to Hangzhou to discover new ways to foster economic growth.