*By Chloe Aiello*
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are reportedly considering a meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago Resort in March to resume trade talks. But whether or not any major developments will result is a toss-up, former State Department Senior Advisor Christian Whiton told Cheddar.
"It's still a coin toss as to whether or not there's a big deal, but Wall Street seems to take it for granted. I think it's less likely, and what's more likely, it's going to be a very long-term process of jousting," said Whiton, who served as an advisor for both Trump and former President George W. Bush.
[Axios reported](https://www.axios.com/trump-xi-china-trade-war-mar-a-lago-37bb245b-9ffa-455e-bc82-499c3c32d7e2.html) on Sunday that Trump's advisers have discussed hosting a summit at the president's Palm Beach, Fla., resort in an attempt to resolve the ongoing trade standoff between the U.S. and China. Sources informed Axios that the summit could come as soon as mid-March, although neither the date nor the location have been officially set.
A mid-March summit would come after the March 2 deadline Trump set to hike tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion in Chinese goods. Whiton said the summit could potentially lead to further delays.
"My guess is that if a summit was scheduled, it would be hard for the administration to go ahead with that increase," he said. "Having said that, there is some jousting within the administration between hardliners ... who want tariffs on sooner as added pressure, and the Wall Street crowd."
Whiton also said that China has done little to address major concerns over intellectual property theft and anti-competitive behaviors.
"What I understand is China really hasn't been that forthcoming in the systemic reform that Trump really wants, and frankly that there is bipartisan consensus for," he said. "They are sort of saying, 'meet us halfway on those things.' But that is extremely hard to do."
Trump has been pushing for adjustments in trade policies with China even before he stepped into the Oval Office. The two powers have been tangled in a retaliatory trade war since Trump first leveraged tariffs in early 2018.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/white-house-reportedly-considering-mar-a-lago-for-u-s-china-trade-summit).
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018.
A new platform is inviting politically progressive consumers to vote with their wallets. The Progressive Shopper platform is designed to educate left-leaning shoppers about political donations made by their favorite brands.
All eyes were focused on Google CEO Sundar Pichai when he testified in front of Congress on Tuesday. But stealing the spotlight was a face in the background ー the Monopoly Man, resurfacing to troll corporate America once again. According to Ian Madrigal, the D.C. attorney behind the viral persona, the mustachioed figure is the ultimate symbol of corporate malfeasance.
Amazon's HQ2 decision was among the greatest "PR scams" in history, according to the state senator that represents the New York district that will be home to one-half of the new split headquarters. Michael Gianaris, the Democratic state senator from New York's 12th district, which includes Long Island City, told Cheddar that the state badly misplayed its hand in giving Amazon billions in incentives to build an outpost in the booming Queens waterfront neighborhood.
Sensing the shifting political winds, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is reportedly planning to introduce a "green new deal" that would legalize recreational pot as part of the inaugural speech he will deliver from Ellis Island on New Year's Day.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018.
Gene Munster isn't worried about Apple. The managing partner of Loup Ventures and venture capitalist told Cheddar Tuesday that the tit-for-tat with Qualcomm over iPhone sales in China is insignificant for Apple's long-term value.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018.
Boris McGiver didn't need to research his journalist character on "House of Cards" ー he simply had to read the scripts.
"The writing was and remains so good," McGiver said Monday of the show, which was the first of Netflix's ($NFLX) binge-watchable programming when it premiered in 2013 and is now wrapping up after six seasons.
As Cheddar reflects on 2018, we are profiling the most innovative, flamboyant, and often-controversial entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who delivered the year's most memorable moments in business. Cheddar's Class Clown Award Goes to Elon Musk.
