Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Tibet for landmark anniversary

Xi Jinping has arrived in Tibet for events on Thursday to mark the 60th anniversary of the autonomous region, making him the first Chinese president to attend the once-a-decade activities.

He arrived in Lhasa at around noon on Wednesday with a high-level entourage, including Wang Huning, China’s top political adviser and fourth-ranking official; Cai Qi, the president’s chief of staff; Li Ganjie, head of the United Front Work Department; Vice-Premier He Lifeng, and Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The Tibet autonomous region was established in September 1965 and is one of five ethnic minority regions in the country. Yu Zhengsheng, then the fourth-ranking Politburo Standing Committee member, oversaw anniversary events in 2015.

Xi is also the only person to visit the region twice while president – his first trip was in 2021 for the 70th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army’s entry into Tibet.

State news agency Xinhua said Xi’s attendance at the anniversary reflected the importance of the region.

“This is the first time in the history of the Communist Party and the country [that Xi has attended the event],” Xinhua said in an article on Wednesday. “It fully demonstrated the party leadership’s high regard for Tibet’s work and their sincere care for Tibetan cadres and the masses of all ethnic groups in Tibet.”