Qualification
According to the FIBA Asia rules, each zone had two places, and the hosts (Saudi Arabia) and the best 5 teams of the previous Asian Championship were automatically qualified.
| East Asia (4+2) | Gulf (1+2) | Middle Asia (1+2) | Southeast Asia (2) | West Asia (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Saudi Arabia | Kazakhstan | Indonesia | Iran |
| Korea | United Arab Emirates | India | Philippines | Jordan |
| Japan | Bahrain | Bangladesh | ||
| Chinese Taipei | ||||
| Hong Kong | ||||
Read more about this topic: 1997 ABC Championship