BEIJING — In hosting the summit of the Group of 20 industrialized nations, China hopes to highlight its role as the world’s second-largest economy, but the meeting comes amid friction over its territorial claims in the South China Sea and criticisms over a crackdown on dissent at home.

The summit will be a capstone of sorts for the relationship between President Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Xi’s desire for a ‘‘new type of major state-to-state relations’’ with America has been a key feature of his foreign policy, but it has gained little momentum in Washington due to questions over the territorial disputes involving South Korea and Japan.

Obama will arrive Saturday in the eastern city of Hangzhou for the opening of the meeting.

China also is seeking to dampen criticism from the United States and European Union over sentences for subversion handed out to legal activists as part of efforts to silence human rights workers and government critics.

China hopes to avoid discussion of such issues while burnishing its image as a responsible major nation whose support is essential to solving the world’s ills.

It will seek to promote its image as a force for grappling with climate change, as a promoter of development in Asia, and as a champion for global free trade.

Associated Press