Commentary Deadly floods ravaged Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan Province in central China, affecting millions of Chinese residents. As of July 29, the official death toll was 99, but the actual number may be much higher due to Beijing’s strict censorship. Despite the devastating floods, Chinese leader Xi Jinping left mainland China for a three-day trip to Tibet from July 21 to 23. He is the first CCP (Chinese Communist Party) leader to officially visit Tibet in 30 years. Xi traveled to Tibet via the Sichuan–Tibet Railway, Tibet’s first high-speed train that connects its capital city of Lhasa to Sichuan, China. He traveled first to Nyingchi before making his way to Lhasa. Xi’s ride on the Sichuan-Tibet high-speed railway highlights its importance for the CCP’s future developments in the region. There are three key segments of the long-anticipated railway. The first segment between Chengdu and Ya’an opened in December 2018. The second segment from Nyingchi to …