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.

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.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made a rare visit to Tibet to mark the 60th anniversary of the consolidation of Beijing’s long-contested rule over the Himalayan territory