India should be clear about Dalai Lama’s anti-China separatist nature, says Beijing

China on Friday objected to Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s remarks that the incarnation of the Dalai Lama should follow his own wishes. The Chinese Foreign Ministry urged India to act cautiously on Tibet-related issues to avoid affecting the improvement of bilateral relations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said India should be clear about the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama and honour its commitments on Xizang (Tibet) related issues. She added that India should avoid interfering in China’s internal affairs concerning Xizang and avoid impacting the development of China-India relations.

Rijiju had asserted that the decision on the Dalai Lama’s incarnation would be taken by the established institution and the Tibetan Buddhist leader himself. This was the first reaction from a senior Indian government official to the Dalai Lama’s comments on his successor.

On Wednesday, the Dalai Lama said the institution would continue and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust, founded by his office in 2015, would have the authority to recognise his future reincarnation. Rijiju’s remarks followed China’s rejection of the Dalai Lama’s succession plan, insisting that any future heir must have its approval.

Rijiju, a practicing Buddhist, and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh are representing the Indian government at the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebrations in Dharamshala on July 6. The minister said the event is a religious function and not political.

Mao reiterated China’s position that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama must follow religious rituals, historical conventions, and Chinese law, including a search process and lots drawn from a 'golden urn' with central government approval. She said the 14th Dalai Lama had followed this procedure and was approved by the then-central government.

Mao’s comments on improving relations refer to efforts by India and China to normalise ties after more than four years of freeze following the Eastern Ladakh standoff. Relations resumed after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in Kazan last year, followed by high-level talks.

The recent resumption of the Kailash and Mansarovar Yatra for Indian pilgrims is seen as the first step towards normalising ties between the two countries.