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The statement follows the 14th Dalai Lama’s confirmation of a succession plan, in which he asserted that the decision would rest with a trust, not the Chinese government
Xu Feihong, Chinese Ambassador to India and the 14th Dalai Lama | File Image
Amid the ongoing debate around the succession of the Dalai Lama, the Chinese Ambassador to India said on Sunday that the 14th Dalai Lama does not hold the authority to decide whether the centuries-old reincarnation system will “continue or be abolished”.
The statement comes after the 14th Dalai Lama confirmed his succession plan, in which he asserted that the decision would rest with a trust, not the Chinese government, and made it clear for the first time that he believes he will be reincarnated.
“The reincarnation of Dalai Lamas neither began from him nor will end due to him,” Ambassador Xu Feihong wrote on X, adding that the current Dalai Lama is only one part of a long-standing religious tradition spanning over 700 years.
Referring to the practice of Living Buddha reincarnation as a “unique succession method of Tibetan Buddhism,” the envoy said the system is active and widespread, with over 1,000 reincarnation lineages currently present in Xizang (Tibet) and Tibetan-inhabited regions of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, and Qinghai.
Facts You Must Know about #DalaiLama Reincarnation:The 14th Dalai Lama has affirmed that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue. In fact, as a unique succession method of Tibetan Buddhism, the practice of Living Buddha reincarnation has continued over 700 years.… pic.twitter.com/kYgj2LXLub— Xu Feihong (@China_Amb_India) July 6, 2025
Dalai Lama On Succession
The 14th Dalai Lama made it clear that a trust — not the Chinese government — will decide the succession of the next Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual authority in Tibetan Buddhism.
Speaking in Dharamshala during a major convention of Buddhist leaders gathered to mark his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama clearly indicated for the first time that he believes he will be reincarnated.
In a long-awaited statement, he announced that the process of identifying his successor would begin with consultations involving spiritual leaders, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, and other key stakeholders.
Beijing responded swiftly, reiterating its claim that any reincarnation must be approved by China’s central government.
It pointed to a 2007 regulation passed in Tibet asserting state authority over the recognition of reincarnated lamas — a position rejected by the global Tibetan community.
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Himachal Pradesh, India, India
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