Ehh, why, in the 80s and 90s, should anyone have assumed that an economically advancing China would continue to be authoritarian and illiberal? Genuine question

Ehh, why, in the 80s and 90s, should anyone have assumed that an economically advancing China would continue to be authoritarian and illiberal? Genuine question. It's easy to say globalization and free trade didn't deliver on the democracy and international norms promise in hindsight, but was there much reason to doubt that idea before it was too late?