Your point of view is more for prestige but China always do the practical thing. Our EM Catapult is enough to let the world know the prowess of Chinese tech since the one onboard Gerald Ford and JF Kennedy are faulty one based on wrong theory. I am sure, US will either go back conventional steam catapult or go Chinese way which will take another 10 years of development.The world believes that the CVN is the symbol of might.
That's why building the CVN has more strategic meaning than the CV.
I know that our ASBM is powerful enough to decimate all US carrier battle groups, but by reaching into that point, we would be at the brink of a global nuclear war.
That's why I start to think that the benefit of building the CVN would be an important symbol to boost China's military technology, and more countries will feel safe to trade with us.
Ma Weming concept for EM catapult is the correct one to go and will be showed onboard Type003 carrier. Be it nuclear or conventional is not important. The core technology is catapult.
China doesn’t even have the advanced naval aviation component to complete such a network. The US has the F-35 B/C and E2-D. China has no such network.
Its only your ignorant that you think China do not have...
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2018-05-08/china-reveals-another-growler
https://www.popsci.com/kj-600-china-plane/
The only thing lacking is stealth which we are working on J-31 variant for carrier.