Satellite Sale to China Advances

The Reagan Administration approved export of three satellites for launch by China, the first U.S. satellite export to a Communist country, State Department spokesman Charles E. Redman said today.

The approval by the White House is subject to final approval by Congress and Western allies and to agreement with China on strict controls to prevent the misuse or diversion of U.S. high technology. Two of the satellites will be exported by Hughes Aircraft Corp. for use by Aussat of Australia for telecommunications. The third is the West Star 6 satellite recovered from space by the U.S. space shuttle in 1984 which will be launched for Asiasat of Hong Kong, a British and Chinese consortium. Redman said the export of these satellites to China did not mean the United States would relax its prohibition on the export of satellites to the Soviet Union for launch on their rockets.