The Senseless Return of ‘Change Through Trade’

For much of the post-Cold War period, Western governments operated on a simple belief: trade would change authoritarian systems from the inside.  

Known in German as Wandel durch Handel — change through trade — this idea has been central to shaping engagement with Russia, China, and other autocracies. Economic integration, among other benefits, would produce political moderation, strengthen the middle class, and, over time, coax these repressive regimes toward an adherence to shared rules.