China is preparing to launch a French-made broadcasting satellite, said sources with the National Space Administration here Wednesday, without giving an exact date for the blast-off.

The satellite and the Chinese-made rocket carrier Long March 3B have been moved to the launch site at Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The mission is the 101st launch by a Long March rocket carrier.

The Chinasat 6B satellite was manufactured by France's Alcatel Alenia Space and has a designed lifespan of 15 years.

Fitted with 38 transponders, the satellite is expected to improve signal transmission for radio and TV stations across China, Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Oceania.

(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2007)