Anthony Albanese hits security turbulence: VIP plane at risk in Beijing
Plans for Anthony Albanese’s upcoming trip have been thrown off course by advice that he should not travel there on his RAAF jet because it could be hacked by Chinese spies.
Anthony Albanese’s upcoming trip to Beijing has been thrown off course by security advice that he should avoid travelling in his RAAF jet because its systems could be hacked by Chinese spies.
It’s understood a number of options are being considered, including using one or more of the RAAF’s smaller jets, or flying the Prime Minister’s plane to a nearby country and using a different aircraft for the final leg into Beijing.
Mr Albanese’s primary aircraft for international trips is one of the air force’s seven KC-30A air-to-air refuellers that has been modified with VIP sleeping and working facilities, and a mix of business class and economy seats for staff and the media. It has advanced communication and navigation systems, and electronic self-protection capabilities to shield against surface-to-air missiles.
Multiple high-level sources said the security warnings had been issued. It was not yet clear how Mr Albanese would get to Beijing. The Prime Minister has said he will travel to China by the end of the year to restore bilateral ties at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
He is yet to release his travel dates but late October or early November are likely, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Gough Whitlam’s historic visit to China.
Defence declined to discuss the matter, citing operational security. “The KC-30A government transport and communication aircraft is one of a range of platforms Defence uses to provide a special purpose aircraft capability to government,” a spokeswoman said.
The concerns over the aircraft’s security on the tarmac in Beijing are a stark reminder that, while the government is determined to stabilise relations with China, the country remains a potential future adversary for Australia, and has high-level hacking capabilities.
When Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell visited China, they travelled there on smaller RAAF VIP jets that do not double as working military aircraft. Even so, the air force took precautions during those visits. During Senator Wong’s late 2022 trip to Beijing aboard an RAAF 737 Boeing Business Jet, the aircrew stayed on board to ensure it was not interfered with. Similar measures were taken for Senator Farrell’s trip to Beijing in May aboard one of the RAAF’s smaller Dassault Falcons. In both cases, the ministers travelled with a small number of staff and few media representatives.
Mr Albanese will have a much larger travelling party including advisers, bureaucrats, and security personnel and a large media pack.
One way around the problem would be to use the RAAF’s two 737s – one for Mr Albanese and his staff, and another for the media.
The Prime Minister could combine the trip with the November 6-10 Pacific Islands Forum in the Cook Islands, and the November 12 APEC summit in San Francisco.
When New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins travelled to China in June he flew on a Royal New Zealand Air Force jet. It’s understood that aircraft is not fitted with such sensitive equipment as the RAAF KC-30As.
Australian government staff and media are advised to use “burner” phones and computers in China. Security officials warn all devices are vulnerable to the country’s security services. In 2017, a team of US government and industry personnel showed a commercial aircraft could be hacked remotely without any contact.
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