By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday visited the southern Tibet autonomous region to commemorate its 60th anniversary, state media reported.
Xi and his delegation were welcomed following their arrival at Lhasa Konggar International Airport in the capital of Tibet, locally known as Xizang.
He is the first Chinese president to attend the event, which is held once a decade.
People from various ethnic backgrounds, dressed in traditional festive clothing, greeted him with red flags and flower bouquets, dancing to local music, Xinhua News reported.
Xi was joined by Communist Party ideologue Wang Huning, and Cai Qi, chief of the staff to the Chinese president.
In 1951, China established control over Tibet, describing it as a “peaceful liberation.”
Founded in 1965, the Tibet autonomous region is one of China’s five ethnic regions.