I wonder if most of what we are doing is being done for political purposes? Sort of, just to look good and get more votes. And if so, you kind of have to admit that from that perspective, the calculation works out even if China surges ahead even faster.

(In fact, you might even be able to use that surge, to do more grandstanding, to get more votes.)

Not saying this is 100% what's going on, but it's undoubtedly a factor in the equation here.