'He has no authority to decide...': Chinese Ambassador to India says Dalai Lama can't take any call on reincarnation process

The Dalai Lama

Hopping in on the ongoing discussion about succession of the Dalai Lama, the Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, on Sunday took to X to say that the 14th Dalai Lama can take no call in the reincarnation process and has no authority to decide whether the system will continue or be abolished.

"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. Currently, there are over 1000 reincarnation systems of Living Buddhas in Xizang and Tibetan-inhabited prefectures/counties of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces," he wrote on X.

"The 14th Dalai Lama is part of this long-standing historical tradition and religious succession, not otherwise. The reincarnation of Dalai Lamas neither began from him nor will end due to him. He has no authority to decide whether the reincarnation system shall continue or be abolished," his X post further read.

The statement came after the 14th Dalai Lama said that the decision on the succession to the next Dalai Lama would not be taken by the Chinese government but instead by a trust - that happens to be the highest spiritual authority in Tibetan Buddhism.

The 14th Dalai Lama has indicated for the first time that he believes he will be reincarnated and announced that  the process of identifying his successor would begin with consultations involving spiritual leaders, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, and other key stakeholders.

The Chinese government responded swiftly to this, reiterating its claim that any reincarnation must be approved by China’s central government.