I choose to believe the authors simply do not know how the world works, discarding evidence contrary to their wishes. Faith-based in other words. Intellectual dishonesty if you choose to be mean-spirited about it.

That or it's a calculated gambit funded by other parties in an effort to trip up, foil and otherwise bamboozle the West until they catch up to, and surpass us.

Could be both, really. Much as the seed of the Peace Movement in the 60s was provided by a Soviet front organization. The seed was a calculated move to disarm the oppositions, picked up and carried by well-meaning tools.