hirobo2
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I do think 004 has a high probability of being nuclear. The age of China double designing, double manufacturing is over because of costs (wasted doing the same things) and confidence and better engineering in designs. Look at the development of China's space program and you should detect the trend. The Mars lander is one of its kind and the succeeding one will not do the same thing.
Also, the most important reason is its 'needs' to protect, not just its immediate waters but also its trade lanes. China's trade lanes are as important and critical to its economy as its immediate waters. So a nuclear-powered carrier and newer generations of attack subs are critical to PLAN's next stage. That stage is NOW to 2035 and China's already late coming of age.
Funny how you would say Chinese would not save a few bucks on shorter length and would save pennies to convert a steam catapult to EM's. Just your bias and ignorance of the history of 003. There were lengthy arguments on steam or EM at the beginning. Eventually EM won, then a design team was assembled. That took a couple years before actual fabrications took place.
Nope, I had been following Type 003 development. They were almost gonna build Type 003 then had to stop work because EM became feasible. Hence they were never gonna restart Type 003 from ground zero. Too much work to remod/redesign everything.
It's not Chinese nature to save a few bucks. When China builds something, it's majestic and grand and spacy and roomy.
Type 003 looks like a Frankenstein freak ship to me. Thus, the only conclusion I can make is this:
1. EM catapults is always better than steam. A perfectly looking steam ship is less desirable than a freak ship with EM.
2. Type 003 looks like a compromise, not what China wanted but it's way better than a steam ship, and not what an EM ship would look like.