In an unannounced visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Tibet, according to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). Video clips shared on Chinese social media showed Xi in the city of Nyingtri and later in Lhasa, where he addressed a crowd in front of the Potala Palace. This marks his first visit to the region as president.
The visit’s timing coincides with the 70th anniversary of the “17-Point Agreement,” which China refers to as the “peaceful liberation of Tibet.” However, the Dalai Lama has renounced this agreement, stating it was signed under duress.
Sources told the ICT that Xi landed at Mainling airport in Nyingtri on July 20. He reportedly told a gathering there that “not a single ethnic group should be left behind” in the effort to build a modern socialist China. Later, in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, he emphasized that “as long as we follow the Communist Party… we will surely realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
The visit was marked by unusual security measures and a lack of coverage by Chinese state media. The Potala Palace was temporarily closed, and sources reported increased monitoring of residents’ movements in Lhasa, as well as road closures and a ban on drones and kites.
Xi’s last visit to the Tibet Autonomous Region was in 2011 when he was China’s vice president.
