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.