Qualification
According to the ABC rules, each zone had two places, and the hosts (Japan) and the best 5 teams of the previous Asian Championship were automatically qualified.
| East Asia (4+2) | Gulf (2+2) | Middle Asia (2) | Southeast Asia (2) | West Asia (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Saudi Arabia | Uzbekistan | Philippines | Syria |
| Korea | United Arab Emirates | Kazakhstan | Thailand | Lebanon |
| China | Kuwait | |||
| Chinese Taipei | Bahrain | |||
| Hong Kong | ||||
| DPR Korea |
Read more about this topic: 1999 ABC Championship