China marks 60th Anniversary of TAR amid criticism from exile Tibetans

8 months ago

Tsering Dhundup

DHARAMSHALA, Aug. 21: China marked the 60th anniversary of the founding of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) with a large ceremony at Lhasa’s Potala Palace Square on Thursday, presided over by President Xi Jinping. The celebration took place directly in front of the Potala Palace, the historical seat of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile since 1959.

Xi, who also serves as general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was joined by senior party leaders Wang Huning and Cai Qi, along with some 20,000 officials and local attendees. Xi is the first Chinese president to attend the once-a-decade commemoration and the only one to visit Tibet twice, having last travelled there in 2021.

Beijing framed the event as a celebration of st...

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