Worst of all, a cheater who doesn't get caught the first time usually cheats again, not only because he/she is farther behind, but also because it seems "easier".
Venetian shipping had started to decline from about 1530—before the entry into the Mediterranean of large volumes of Dutch and British shipping—and was clearly outclassed by the end of the century.
There is considerable and justified concern that the United States is falling behind much of the rest of the developed world in these essential disciplines.
China must seize the first-mover advantage to get on board - the central bank would be a sinner of the whole nation if other countries moved ahead while China lagged behind.