return subtype;
  }

  /**
   * Returns true if this type is a supertype of the given {@code type}. "Supertype" is defined
   * according to <a
   * href="http://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jls/se8/html/jls-4.html#jls-4.5.1">the rules for type
   * arguments</a> introduced with Java generics.
   *
   * @since 19.0
   */
  public final boolean isSupertypeOf(TypeToken<?> type) {

 * assigned characters, including important CJK characters and emoji.
 *
 * <p>Supplementary characters are <a
 * href="https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/lang/Character.html#supplementary">encoded
 * into a {@code String} using surrogate pairs</a>, and a {@code CharMatcher} treats these just as

 * assigned characters, including important CJK characters and emoji.
 *
 * <p>Supplementary characters are <a
 * href="https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/lang/Character.html#supplementary">encoded
 * into a {@code String} using surrogate pairs</a>, and a {@code CharMatcher} treats these just as

    /*
     * We throw IllegalStateException, since the call could succeed later. Perhaps we "should" throw
     * IllegalArgumentException, since the call could succeed with a different argument. Those
     * exceptions' docs suggest that either is acceptable. Google's Java Practices page recommends
     * IllegalArgumentException here, in part to keep its recommendation simple: Static methods