Xi Jinping’s Visit to Lhasa Elevates Tibet in National Policymaking Agenda

Originally published as Kumar, Devendra. 2025.  Xi Jinping’s Visit to Lhasa Elevates Tibet in National Policymaking Agenda. The Jamestown Foundation. China Brief, Volume: 25 Issue: 17, 19 September.
 

Executive Summary:

• Xi Jinping’s third trip to the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) underscores its importance to his agenda at the national level. His Tibet policy emphasizes regional stability, economic development, ecological conservation, and border defense, but the top priority remains stability.
• The ceremony, which celebrated the TAR’s 60th anniversary, saw low public attendance, undermining the Party’s narrative of ethnic unity and “unwavering support” for the Party-state’s policies in the region.
• The sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism and culture serves to sever religious, cultural, and political links across borders, reinforcing the CCP’s control of lama reincarnation.

Click here to continue reading the Issue Brief.