"But officials have become increasingly concerned about the impact the tariffs could have on an economy that is already struggling to deal with a property crisis, stubbornly high youth unemployment and low consumer confidence."
The target audience of this article must know a little about China's economy in recent years to truly understand what China is thinking and how they are reacting to the trade war. China's growth has been slowing, and it is also dealing with a property crisis as the value of property is going down while most people have put their savings into property. So, in this context, China's reciprocal trade tariffs and rhetoric is a risky play for its economy, but also would help cement its position as a responsible trading partner.