Xi's real test is not Trump's trade war

China is not behaving like a nation facing the prospect of economic pain and President Xi Jinping has made it clear that Beijing will not back down.

Trump 's brinkmanship and tariff hikes are pushing on pressure points that already exist within China 's struggling economy.

With a housing crisis, increasing job insecurity and an ageing population, Chinese people are simply not spending as much as their government would like.

China has made huge strides over the past decade in areas such as consumer electronics, batteries, EVs and artificial intelligence as part of a pivot to advanced manufacturing.

The restrictions on the sale of key chips to China , including the most recent move tightening exports from US chip giant Nvidia , for instance, are aimed at curbing Xi 's ambitions for tech supremacy.

Xi is also aware that China has a disheartened younger generation worried about their future.

This trade war has China looking in the mirror to see its own flaws and whether it can fix them will be up to policies made in Beijing , not Washington . Top picture credit: Getty Images BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day . And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below..