[3] 201 is the sole member of its class, designated Type 032 (NATO reporting name: Qing).

[1] 201 commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in 2012; the previous SLBM testbed, a Golf-class submarine (Type 031), subsequently decommissioned in 2013.

[5] 201 resembles an enlarged Type 039A submarine, with bow-mounted retractable diving planes, instead of sail-mounted.

[6] The sail is disproportionately long, and extends below the keel like the Golf-class; at least one ballistic missile launch tube is fitted at the rear of the sail.

[1] In 2017, the height of the rear sail was increased, likely to support the larger JL-3.