Evergrande and Guoan are the champion and runner-up of the Super League respectively, so they are eligible to participate in the AFC Champions League. The two champions in the middle and the FA Cup champion directly entered the AFC Champions League. The third place participated in the qualifiers and eliminated a team to enter the AFC Champions League, but the third place Liaoning Hongyun abstained.
There are three teams in the 20 12 AFC Champions League, Tianjin TEDA (FA Cup champion).