India will play seven-time Asian champions China in the forthcoming Asian Football Confederation women's championship which will kick-off on April 17 in Thailand.

Other teams with India in Group 'C' include Vietnam and Uzbekistan.

Reigning Asian champions Korea DPR have been drawn to play against neighbours Korea Republic, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand in Group 'A'.

Announcing the draw, held in Bangkok on Saturday, the AFC said Japan, who lost 2-0 to Korea DPR in the 2001 final, are the top seeds in Group 'B', which also features Chinese Taipei, Philippines, Guam and Myanmar.

In addition to battling for continental honours, the 14 teams participating in the AFC women's championship will also be competing for two-and-half slots in the FIFA Women's World Cup, which is to be played in China later this year, an AFC statement said.

Two teams will advance automatically to the World Cup while a third will take on Mexico in a two-leg play-ff for another berth.

With only the top team in each group and the best of the three second-placed teams advancing to the semi-finals in the AFC Championship, there could be plenty at stake when Korea DPR take on their southern rivals in their Group A match, scheduled for April 25.

In their most recent meeting at the Asian Games in Busan last October, Korea DPR won 2-0 en route to capturing the gold medal.

As World Cup hosts, China will qualify for the finals regardless of how they fare in the AFC championship, said the statement, adding, however, the "Steel Roses" will be keen to reclaim the continental title and also avenge their second place finish to Korea at the 2002 Asian Games.

Group A: Korea DPR, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.

Group B: Japan, Philippines, Guam, Chinese Taipei and Myanmar.

Group C: China, Vietnam, India and Uzbekistan.