Let's be honest. If China became a liberal democracy now and keeps their economic trajectory, would the US really be cheering them on? When it means that China's GDP will surpass that of the USA in about a decade and double that of the US in two more decades after that? Will America be okay with China becoming the leader of the free world and become China's junior partner a la Britain?

The honest answer is no to all of the above questions. The strategy has never been to hope that China turns liberal when they get rich and powerful because America doesn't want China to get truly rich and powerful. China's political system is of secondary concern for the West. Their increasing wealth and strength is what really bothers the US.