Xi visits Tibet unannounced

It has been more than three decades since a Chinese head of state and party leader last visited Tibet. Former president Jian Zemin had visited the autonomous region in 1990. On Friday, it was revealed that Xi Jinping, now the current state and party leader, visited Tibet’s capital Lhasa last Wednesday and probably also briefly visited the city of Nyingchi. On Friday, state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of Xi greeting a crowd of people with Chinese flags and traditional Tibetan clothing as he exited his plane at Nyingchi airport. Later, Xi also appeared in front of the Potala Palace, reports said. The palace is the former residence of the exiled Dalai Lama.