A professor at M.I.T. on how Xi Jinping is likely to respond to U.S. tariffs and why the standoff won’t weaken the Chinese Communist Party’s grip on power.

E ven before getting embroiled in a trade war with America, China’s officials were struggling to keep up public morale. Many people were already fretting about a weak job market and a property downturn. Now, American levies on most Chinese goods have reached a staggering 145% and China’s levies on American imports are at 125%.

The administration’s theory of the case is that tariff deals with other countries will isolate China — and urge them to come to the table.