*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).

Share:
More In Politics
Inside the Republican Backlash to Trump's Gun Control Comments
President Trump stunning his Republican base during a meeting with legislators Wednesday about Gun Control. "Take the guns first, go through due process second," said Trump during a bipartisan meeting at the White House. College Student Kassy Dillon, who founded Lone Conservative, reacts to Trump's departure from his base on this issue.
Is Trump Walking Back His Gun Control Comments?
President Trump "upset a lot of his base" by saying we should confiscate guns, and that's why he seems to be walking back those comments on Twitter, says Kassy Dillon, founder of conservative website Lone Conservative.
Between Bells: March 1, 2018
Vanity Fair's Hive: We’re joined by the crew at Vanity Fair's Hive to discuss Hope Hicks' resignation. On Between Bells: TV reboot fever, and E!'s Seacrest problem. With Diply, The Hollywood Reporter, Zimbio, and more.
Opening Bell: March 1, 2018
Kroger follows Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods in becoming the third major retailer to impose tighter regulations on gun sales. NBC is cutting back on commercial time to compete with streaming giants like Netflix and Hulu. Hope Hicks, one of President Trump's closest aides, is out as White House communications director. And Congressman John Delaney (D-MD) joins us to discuss the future of artificial intelligence.
Retailers Tighten Gun Sale Policies
Heather Haddon, reporter for The Wall Street Journal, shares her thoughts on Kroger becoming the third retailer to raise the age for buying a firearm to 21. Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods made similar changes recently.
A Hope-Less Administration
Ben Dreyfuss, senior editor at Mother Jones, discusses the surprise resignation of Hope Hicks, making her the 4th White House communications director to leave the Trump Administration.
Congressman Makes A.I. a National Priority
The bipartisan caucus aims to work with the private sector to make sure technological change "doesn't leave huge parts of the country behind," says Rep. John Delaney (D-MD), who founded the group.
The Flint Crisis Isn't Just About the Water
Jessica Dimmock, Drea Cooper, and Zackary Canepari, directed the upcoming Netflix docu-series "Flint Town". The trio discusses not only the water crisis but the economic struggles and underfunded police department in the Michigan town.
Closing Bell: February 28, 2018
Spotify files to go public. Dick's will immediately stop selling assault rifles. President Trump meets with lawmakers on gun control. White House communications director Hope Hicks is resigning from her post. Facebook launching a new initiative to take on sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
Rep. Darren Soto: Speaker Ryan's Gun Control Comments "A Real Shame"
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students returned to school on Wednesday, two weeks after a mass shooter killed seventeen people. Since that tragic event, a student-led movement has been rallying support for changes to gun laws. But on Capitol Hill House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) signaled his disinterest in new restrictions on gun purchases. Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fl) discusses the state of gun control.
Load More