Earlier quoted context omitted.
The US also believed that giving China an example of "the good way" via access to the US markets would cause them to open up and allow access in kind. Turned out that was a pretty naive belief.
The US never believed this, the politicians told this story so they could get richer off trade deals and cheap labor. Anyone who was critically thinking saw this coming a long way out.
No one with half a brain thought anything else would happen. Even if China was a liberal democracy, this would still happen.
It was just arrogant and short term thinking.