China is seeking assistance from the international community to ensure a safe G20 meeting in September, as the country faces what one official called the "grim task" of fighting terrorism.

Such assistance would include evaluations of the risk of attacks against world leaders who will come to China to attend the summit, and lists of possible terrorists and terrorist organizations that might be involved, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

"We're facing a grim task infighting terrorism, and we hope participating countries will work together with Chinese police to ensure the safety of such large-scale meetings," Hou Le, a senior official from the ministry's Counterterrorism Bureau, said on Wednesday. Hou made the remark on the sidelines of a two-day meeting of foreign law enforcement liaison officers in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.