Hong Kong —
With brisk strides, Chinese leader Xi Jinping will descend 39 red-carpeted steps outside Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, a political landmark at the very heart of the Chinese capital.
Each step is timed so that he walks past top officials from the Chinese and US delegations, reaching a discreet point on the red carpet within seconds of the arrival of his guest, US President Donald Trump. On cue, ceremonial music begins.
This level of precise, by-the-second planning, demonstrated during Trump’s first visit to Beijing in 2017, will be on show again from Thursday, with the US president expected to visit to the Temple of Heaven, an ancient place of worship where emperors…