China hopes success for hosting G20 Summit this coming September 4-5 but doubts the West and its Allies to deny Beijing on the international stage.
President Xi Jinping ensures that this will not happen as it will be a basis to judge how effective China was to host the G20 Summit.
According to diplomats, Beijing would like to focus on laying out a broad strategy for global growth, but talks are likely to be dominated by arguments from South China Sea dispute to protectionism policies.
"From where China sits, it looks like the Americans are trying to encircle them," said a senior Western envoy, describing talks with Chinese official before G20 as being ruled by South China Sea row.
China has already made it clear that it does not want such matters to overshadow the meeting, which will be attended by US President Barack Obama, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo and other world leaders.
On the other hand, China has been angered by questions raised by Britain and Australia over strategic Chinese investments in their countries, saying it smacks of protectionism and paranoia.
Britain postponed a $24 billion Chinese-invested nuclear project while Australia has blocked the A$10 billion sale of the country's biggest energy network to Chinese bidders.
But Western officials have concerns about access for their companies in China and they are willing to talk about it.
Joerg Wuttke, the president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said that there's a change in tone as European officials conveyed dissatisfaction with China's overcapacity problems and lack of mutual market access for European companies.
"It has reached the point where people are not afraid to speak up any more. They feel like they have to be tougher in front of their own constituencies," Wuttke
Exasperation has been expressed by a European official involved in trade issues because of China's attitude on protectionism.
"The Chinese would shut you down at once if you said you wanted to buy one of their grids. You wouldn't get to the end of the sentence," the official added.
"China is angry with almost everyone at the moment," said a second Beijing-based Western diplomat familiar with the summit.
"It's very important from the stance of national pride," said the diplomat, pointing out it was not unusual for G20s to be taken over by issues other than economics.
"It's a minefield for China."
