Qualification
According to the ABC rules, each zone had two places, and the hosts (China) 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Saudi Arabia | India | Philippines | Lebanon |
| Korea | Kuwait | Uzbekistan | Thailand | Syria |
| Chinese Taipei | Qatar | |||
| Japan | United Arab Emirates | |||
| DPR Korea | ||||
| Hong Kong |
Read more about this topic: 2001 ABC Championship