He arrived in Lhasa at around noon on Wednesday accompanied by Wang Huning, China’s top political adviser and fourth-ranking official, and Cai Qi, the president’s chief of staff, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The Tibet autonomous region was established in September 1965 and is one of five ethnic minority regions in the country. Yu Zhengsheng, then the fourth-ranking Politburo Standing Committee member, oversaw anniversary events in 2015.

State news agency Xinhua said Xi’s attendance at the anniversary reflected the importance of the region.

“This is the first time in the history of the Communist Party and the country [that Xi has attended the event],” Xinhua said in an article on Wednesday. “It fully demonstrated the party leadership’s high regard for Tibet’s work and their sincere care for Tibetan cadres and the masses of all ethnic groups in Tibet.”