why "will", not "would"

[mamajonov]

Many analysts have predicted that, just as the growth of democracy has generally followed industrial development in other nations, democratic institutions will soon flourish in China.

According to the CAT, this answer is correct. But I think, "will" must be "would" because it is after the past simple "predicted"
dear experts, could you please explain ?

[RonPurewal]

Many analysts have predicted that, just as the growth of democracy has generally followed industrial development in other nations, democratic institutions will soon flourish in China.

According to the CAT, this answer is correct. But I think, "will" must be "would" because it is after the past simple "predicted"
dear experts, could you please explain ?

hi,
first, "have predicted" is not simple past, so your analysis is not based in the actual sentence.

second, "will" is correct, because this is still a future event, even viewed from today. for instance, you can still write,
In 1974, Smith predicted that the world will end in 2050.
but you'd have to write
In 1974, Smith predicted that the world would end in 1984.

by the way -
from now on, please follow the forum rules: you must post the entire problem, with all answer choices. posts that do not follow this rule will be deleted. thank you.