Xi Jinping reinforces party control in rare Tibet visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a rare trip to Tibet this week, using public events and meetings to press for tighter Communist Party control and closer alignment with party policy across the Himalayan region that’s of great economic and strategic importance to Beijing. State media said Xi arrived in Lhasa on Wednesday and was greeted by about 20,000 officials and residents.

His two-day program coincided with ceremonies marking 60 years since China created the Tibet Autonomous Region in 1965.

During the visit, Xinhua reported that Xi told local officials to expand Mandarin instruction, bring Tibetan Buddhism into closer conformity with socialist principles, and build a stronger sense of national identity under party leadership. He said officials must first ensure political order, ethnic unity and religious calm to manage and develop the region.

What message did top leaders deliver?

At events staged against the Potala Palace, senior leaders emphasized that Tibet’s development depends on Communist Party leadership. Wang Huning, an official overseeing ethnic affairs, told attendees that “all attempts to split the motherland and undermine the stability of Tibet are doomed to fail.”

Xinhua also said Xi urged progress on a $167 billion hydropower project on the Tibetan plateau that began last month, presented as a driver of jobs, business activity and emissions goals.

How does Tibet fit China’s broader strategy?

Tibet is central to China’s regional and domestic strategy, where military and spiritual fronts overlap.

The region borders India, a rival power that clashed with Chinese troops in 2020, and serves as the source of rivers that sustain more than a billion people downstream. Xi’s trip came as his foreign minister visited New Delhi, highlighting a mix of military pressure and diplomatic outreach.

At the same time, Beijing is trying to control Tibet’s religious future. The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism who lives in exile in India, has rejected China’s claim that it must approve his successor, insisting a committee in India will make that choice.

What has changed under Xi?

Since 2012, Xi has advanced a harder line on integrating ethnic minorities. In Tibet, authorities have tightened controls on religion, language and schooling, expanded state-run boarding programs that teach mainly in Mandarin and built dense policing networks, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Robert Barnett of the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies told the Journal that Xi’s repeated focus on political education suggests concern that loyalty has not taken root despite decades of Chinese rule. He said the “fear of hidden disloyalty” may explain the push for Mandarin instruction and party history study.

Chinese officials reject accusations of cultural suppression, telling state media that party policies have raised living standards while preserving Tibetan identity.

Officials said the region now offers 15 years of free schooling from kindergarten through senior high, while average life expectancy has climbed to 72.5 years — more than double the figure from 1951.

Champa Gyatso, a monk at Sakya Monastery, said services have noticeably improved for residents.

“Our access to elderly care, medical services and housing has been truly ensured,” he told state media. Xi last visited Tibet in 2021 for the 70th anniversary of Beijing’s takeover. Xinhua framed this week’s stop as proof of the party center’s close attention to the region.