Though Mr. Xi’s status as China’s paramount leader is unchallenged, his management of the economy and relations with the United States had come under criticism before Ms. Meng’s arrest, with some blaming him as pushing overly ambitious policies that aggravated the Trump administration and provoked the trade war.

And the timing of Ms. Meng’s detention may mean more pressure on Mr. Xi. It occurred as he and Mr. Trump were discussing a truce in the trade war over dinner in Buenos Aires. Aides said Mr. Trump was unaware of the arrest at the time, but some Chinese are already saying the American side’s failure to raise it at the summit meeting amounted to a loss of face for Mr. Xi, and perhaps a deliberate attempt by hawks in Washington to embarrass China.

Others said Ms. Meng’s arrest would embolden those who have long suspected that the United States is determined to block China’s rise. “This will just confirm everyone’s worst suspicions about the U.S.,” said one retired businesswoman with family ties to the party leadership, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Deng Yuwen, a political analyst in Beijing, said conservative forces in the Chinese government and society could use Ms. Meng’s arrest to resist concessions as trade talks unfold in the next few months.

“If the U.S. makes an example of Huawei, the conservative nationalist forces in China and also the military will be very unhappy, and that will make it even more difficult to make compromises with the United States,” he said.

“In the short term, the United States might gain from playing this card, but in the longer term, it doesn’t gain from this,” Mr. Deng added. “This will make it harder for the reformers to speak up.”

Mr. Xi has not publicly commented on Ms. Meng’s detention, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry has objected forcefully and demanded her release. A spokesman, Geng Shuang, said Washington needed to explain why Ms. Meng was being held and accused Canada and the United States of violating her rights.