The G20 summit is taking place in Hangzhou, China this weekend. This is the most significant gathering of world leaders ever held in China. In order to present an image of a clean, safe city the Chinese government decided it would be best if millions of people who live in Hangzhou left for a week. Residents were offered some incentives to vacate but, this being China, they really had no choice in the matter. From the Guardian:

In recent days, foreign journalists have been astonished and bewildered at how China’s authoritarian rulers have managed to transform a usually bustling metropolis of 6 million inhabitants into a virtual ghost town to guarantee a trouble-free summit.

More than a third of Hangzhou’s population were reportedly “convinced” to leave town as part of what Chinese state media called a massive exodus that saw cars forced off the roads and a seven-day public holiday declared.

Thousands of residents were ordered to vacate the towering apartment blocks that surround the conference centre where world leaders had gathered, to prevent an assault from above.

Dissidents were placed under house arrest or forced to leave the city by security agents.

Sam Coates, a reporter for the London Times, described Hangzhou as a “ghost town”:

It is a ghost town pic.twitter.com/YvmRaypyNL

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

Look pic.twitter.com/MW9tSL3pkM

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

Watch pic.twitter.com/5dtsMrRi7O

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

How do you empty a city of millions of people? Coates calls it “Choice, Chinese style.”

In the residential compounds, there were residential committees, usually made up of retired women….

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

They went knocking on doors urging people to leave, and put up notices telling people when they had to leave by. It was "voluntary" but not

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

People were told that if they didn't agree to leave, their next visit would be from the police according to source

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

There was also a media campaign on telly, newspapers and social media telling them to leave. Choice, Chinese style

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

In addition to the threats there were also inducements to leave:

People who left were given a string of inducements. Morotways made free of charge. Discounts at museums / cultural sites.

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

People with Hangzhou citizen identity numbers could get lots of discounts at "places of interest", apparently

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

Factories were shut to get rid of the smog. However it was replaced by fog for the summit.

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

But there were still plenty of minders throughout the city:

Apparently, however, 300,000 stayed behind to work on the summit. There are people in shell suits on every street just monitoring.

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

Now look at these people. They are everywhere at the summit and hotels. Look like London 2012 games makers pic.twitter.com/KOcgB3Rqsh

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

When they go through security and accreditation photos flash up on big screen, some are wearing military uniform pic.twitter.com/9t3x0u0gg1

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) September 5, 2016

President Xi pronounced the summit a great success on Monday. According to the NY Times, one of his goals was to highlight the strength of Chinese communism:

The party’s resilience under Mr. Xi — on display with giant flags showing the hammer and sickle at security checkpoints — is part of the meeting’s message.

One of Mr. Xi’s provincial successors, the party chief, Xia Baolong, said the meeting would “demonstrate the great achievement of China’s opening and reform, and the immense superiority of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” the government’s description of its political and economic system.

It’s funny how Communism always winds up looking and operating like a dictatorship in practice. Thanks for the reminder, President Xi.