Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made a rare trip to Tibet and hailed the crushing of “separatism” in the once-restive region, as Beijing prepares for a looming struggle over the successor of the aging and exiled Dalai Lama and the hearts and minds of millions of Tibetans.

P resident Xi Jinping urged unity on a rare visit to Tibet, appearing before 20,000 people to mark 60 years since China created the autonomous region after annexing it.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa on Wednesday for his second-ever visit as China's leader to mark the 60th anniversary of Tibet's founding as an autonomous region.