China launched a communications satellite, Zhongxing-11, at 0:06 a.m. Thursday (Beijing time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Zhongxing-11 will be mainly used in providing commercial communications services for users in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a statement from the center.

The satellite was sent by a Long March-3B rocket into the preset orbit, the statement said.

It marked the 176th launch of China's Long March series of rockets.

(Xinhua News Agency May 2, 2013)