The Real Liberal Bet G. John Ikenberry Most observers would agree with John Mearsheimer that the liberal bet on China did not work out (“ The Inevitable Rivalry ,” November/December 2021). Welcoming the country into the world economy after the Cold War did not cause it to open up, liberalize, and become a responsible stakeholder in the global order. Worse, under President Xi Jinping, the country has taken a dangerous autocratic and illiberal turn. But Mearsheimer goes further, arguing that the