Abstract The first plasma was obtained in the EAST on September 26th, 2006. Single-null (SN) and double-null (DN) diverted plasmas were achieved successfully in the EAST tokamak on January 22nd, 2007. The employed plasma diagnostics for first plasma study of EAST are as follows: a vertical one-channel far-infrared (FIR) hydrogen cyanide (HCN) laser interferometer for measuring the line average density, a 10-channel soft X-ray array for intensity measurement, a 16-channel heterodyne Electron Cyclotron Emission (ECE) for measuring the electron temperature profile, a 8-channel XUV bolometer array to measure plasma radiation losses, a 3-channel hard X-ray array for intensity measurement, an electromagnetic measurement system, a 35-channel H α radiation array, 20 probes for divertor plasma, a one-channel visible bremsstrahlung emission, an impurity optical spectrum measurement system and two optical spectroscopic multi-channel analyzers (OMA). The first experimental results of diagnostic systems are summarized in this Letter.