I have a five year old daughter and I do not think it unreasonable to hope that she could easily live another hundred years. You speak of "our lifetimes" and I say my time horizon has considerably extended when I consider my daughter's future. The Chinese regard a century as little more than a blink of an eye. They are patient but exceedingly sedulous in the furtherance of their ambitions.
We are not really at odds here and to the extent we are, I hope you are proven right.