In response to his revelation that 002's design hasn't been finalised, someone asked how that could be considering the multitude of rumours that claimed the opposite. Pop3 responded;
1) the technical design hasn't been completed,
2) the so-called "finalisation of design" is a faux jargon that was given by industry outsiders. A true finalisation of design would entail design certification which is given only after the design in question has been built, put into service, and used for a few years so that all its bugs and quirks are known. Right now, the 002 is still in the technical design stage, which is followed by the manufacturing design (or design for manufacture) stage, the latter of which can occur concurrent with parts and materials ordering.
To consolidate, I think the probability of our seeing the first 002 being built with EMALS is getting higher and higher. The "one thing" that pop3 says caused the delays in finishing the technical design is most likely the choice of catapult type.