Dalai Lama says he will reincarnate, defying China’s authority

The 14th Dalai Lama has declared that the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue after his death, ending years of speculation while setting up a renewed clash with Beijing over succession authority.

What he said: In a recorded message delivered to Buddhist monks in Dharamsala, India, on Wednesday, the religious leader declared, “I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue.” He appointed the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit organization he established in 2015, as the exclusive authority for identifying his reincarnation, stating that “no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.” The announcement reverses his 2011 comments that the institution might not continue at all. Senior officials say the successor can be of any gender and their nationality would not be restricted to Tibet. In his 90th birthday celebration on Saturday, he assured attendees of his “great physical condition.”

China responds: Beijing quickly dismissed the announcement, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning asserting that “the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must adhere to the principles of domestic search in China” and requires “approval by the central government.” China insists selection protocols from the 18th century apply, in which “the child reincarnation of a major Living Buddha such as the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama needs to be identified through lot-drawing from a golden urn and approval by the central government.” The U.S. State Department weighed in on the matter and called on China to “cease its interference in the succession of the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist lamas.”

Why this matters: The succession dispute carries major implications for Tibetans who oppose China’s governance of Tibet and seek to preserve their cultural identity both in exile and their homeland. Analysts anticipate dual claims will surface, with one Dalai Lama chosen by Beijing and another selected by monks faithful to the current leader. Dibyesh Anand, a professor of international relations at the University of Westminster, told The Diplomat that the succession creates “an unprecedented crisis of legitimacy” with neither side able to negotiate.

The search for the 15th Dalai Lama will likely commence after the current leader’s death, a process that could take several years to identify and prepare the successor.