...from 2002. Since then, the Chinese have kept developing their own carrier capability: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_aircraft_carrier_progra...

Possibly they are only doing this to fake us out, and I don't disagree with the war nerd's argument that carriers make worryingly good targets...but I wouldn't write off the whole concept just yet.

> Possibly they are only doing this to fake us out

No, they are doing it to maintain their regional position with regard to potential conflict areas with regional rivals in the Indian Ocean/South China Sea area, particularly, India.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/12/world/asia/india-aircraft-carr...

I think that too, but you need to read that remark in the context of the post it was replying to (which suggested that such carriers were obsolete and referenced an article suggesting that China would rely on submarines).

A more current war nerd article

http://exiledonline.com/war-nerd-china-joins-the-yacht-club/

The DF 21 is basically unstoppable, best long term solution inho is putting drone carriers underwater

Hmm... this assumes that a carrier would directly engage the enemy. To my understanding, in modern times they are more like a mobile airstrip and supply base, and you would leave the carrier far over the horizon away from hostiles.

Your only other options are to fly your planes straight from the USA to your target, or to build bases with airstrips all over the world, which are easily bombed.