Is China’s Shenzhen ready to host Xi, Trump and Putin during Apec summit?

In Shenzhen, drones are banned, shiny new hotels have opened their doors and taxi drivers are carrying devices that can translate nearly 150 languages.

Since President Xi Jinping announced last year that China’s southern tech hub would host Apec meetings in November, the city has done all it can to get ready under the watchful eyes of the local, provincial and national authorities.

While every Apec summit draws the world’s attention, this year’s edition is considered to be especially high-stakes as Xi, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are all expected to attend. Last year, Putin did not join the summit in South Korea.

In the past few weeks alone, Guangdong’s provincial Communist Party chief Huang Kunming has inspected Shenzhen twice to make sure preparations are going as planned.