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.

Xi Jinping has called for unity during a rare visit to Tibet, where thousands marked the region’s 60 years as an autonomous Chinese state with songs, dances, a parade – and placards heaping praise on the Communist Party.

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