Pomp and pageantry: for Chinese officials preparing for a Trump visit, every second counts

By Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — 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,