Overview

• Xi became the first Chinese president to attend the once-a-decade anniversary events, observing a large ceremony and parade by the Potala Palace that state media said drew about 20,000 people.
• State outlets quoted Xi calling for political and social stability, ethnic unity, religious harmony, and for Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to socialist society, without mentioning the Dalai Lama.
• He pressed local officials to advance flagship projects including the Yarlung Tsangpo mega‑hydropower scheme and the Sichuan–Tibet railway, alongside priorities for border defense and environmental protection.
• Human rights groups and Tibetan exiles criticized the spectacle, citing tight controls on religion and culture, expanded Mandarin boarding schools, limits on foreign access, and large‑scale Han migration.
• The trip coincided with Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to India as both sides seek to manage tensions from past border clashes, highlighting Tibet’s strategic weight on the Himalayan frontier.