<PAGE>

                                                                    Exhibit 12.1

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, Ni Yifeng, certify that:

(1)   I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of APT Satellite Holdings
      Limited;

(2)   Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
      statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
      make the statement made, in light of the circumstances under which such
      statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
      this annual report;

(3)   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
      information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material
      respects the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of
      the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

(4)   The company's other certifying officer and I are responsible of
      establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
      defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and
      have:

      (a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
            disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
            supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
            company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to
            us by others within those entities, particularly during the period
            in which this annual report is being prepared;

      (b)   evaluated the effectiveness of the company's disclosure controls and
            procedures and presented in this annual report our conclusions about
            the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures as of
            the end of the period covered by this annual report based on such
            evaluation; and

      (c)   disclosed in this report any change in the company's internal
            control over financial reporting that occurred during the period
            covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is
            reasonably likely to materially affect, the company's internal
            control over financial reporting; and

(5)   the company's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our
      most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
      the company's auditors and the audit committee of the company's board of
      directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

      (a)   all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
            or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
            reasonably likely to adversely affect the company's ability to
            record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

      (b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
            other employees who have a significant role in the company's
            internal control over financial reporting.

Date: June 28, 2007

                                         /s/ Ni Yifeng
                                         -------------------------------------
                                         Ni Yifeng
                                         Executive Director and President
                                         APT Satellite Holdings Limited