EMP Shields, Hi-Tech Encryption: Inside Xi Jinping's Modified Boeing 747

Chinese President Xi Jinping's official state aircraft is a modified Boeing 747-8 operated by Air China. The modified Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental serves as China's premier state transport and mobile command centre.

The aircraft originally began its life as a commercial passenger jet with Air China, entering service in late 2014.

In May 2015, it was permanently withdrawn from commercial service and underwent an extensive, multi-month conversion to equip it with specialised security systems and a luxury VIP interior. It officially entered service as the primary state aircraft in autumn 2016.

Before this, Chinese leaders used commercial Boeing 747-400s. Those planes had to be temporarily refitted with VVIP cabins by the Chinese Air Force approximately 20 days before a diplomatic mission and were converted back to standard passenger seating for public routes afterward.

Using commercial jets saved money and allowed China to utilise existing airline infrastructure.

Specifications:

Length: 76.4 metres

Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW): Approximately 4,42,000 kg

Engines: Four General Electric GEnx-2B67 turbofan engines

Maximum speed: Mach 0.855 (approximately 982 km/h)

Range: Approximately 14,500 km (about 8,000 nautical miles) without refuelling

The aircraft is heavily modified with satellite-based, military-grade encrypted communication systems that allow President Xi to maintain constant contact with government and military command centres anywhere on Earth.

It features advanced threat-detection capabilities, missile-defence countermeasures and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) shielding to safeguard its avionics and communication arrays from nuclear-level electronic warfare.

EMP shielding is a combination of materials, barriers and filters designed to block, absorb or divert powerful bursts of electromagnetic energy that can destroy electronic equipment.

Only the Chinese president and the State Council premier are permitted to use the presidential aircraft for international visits. Other state leaders rely on chartered planes for their trips.

These chartered aircraft are typically part of Air China's passenger fleet, serving commercial routes during non-diplomatic missions. This system ensures the efficient utilisation of aviation resources while maintaining the flexibility required for state visits.

Before this official presidential aircraft, China's president used to travel on commercial Boeing 747-400s. Those planes had to be temporarily refitted with VVIP cabins by the Chinese Air Force approximately 20 days before a diplomatic mission and were converted back to standard passenger seating for public routes afterwards.

China was reportedly close to introducing a special presidential plane modified in the United States in 2001, only to discover 27 listening devices hidden inside it -- a claim that Beijing has neither confirmed nor denied.

In 2015, when Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, flew to the US, they travelled on a commercial aircraft.

"There is no 'special plane' for Chinese leaders -- the planes are provided by Air China," Lu Peixin, former acting director of the protocol department of China's Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying in a China Daily report.

Before any presidential flight, the aircraft's interior was temporarily refitted with sofas and beds. A month was also spent carrying out security checks and carefully selecting the flight crew, Lu said.

However, there was a time when China almost introduced a presidential plane that had been specifically modified to resemble "Air Force One".

In 2001, a customised aircraft, refitted at San Antonio International Airport in the US, had been prepared for the use of then-President Jiang Zemin.

However, after being delivered to Beijing, it was apparently found to have been fitted with 27 listening devices hidden inside.

China did not confirm or deny the incident at the time, but a Foreign Ministry spokesman said at a press briefing a few months later that it was "completely unnecessary to eavesdrop on China".