Leading the Chinese fleet were two of the Navy's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. They were followed by two nuclear-powered attack submarines and four conventionally powered attack submarines.

The first of the surface vessels was the CNS Nanchang, the first missile destroyer in the Navy with a displacement of more than 10,000 metric tons. This Type 055 class ship is equipped with new types of air defense, missile defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, and is widely considered to be one of the most advanced and mightiest destroyers in the world.