New Delhi/Beijing, July 2 — A fresh confrontation has erupted between China and the Tibetan administration in exile after the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, declared that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue, and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise his reincarnation.
China swiftly rejected the Tibetan spiritual leader’s announcement. At a media briefing in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning insisted that the selection of the next Dalai Lama must comply with what she described as China’s religious protocols, including the “Golden Urn” process and central government approval.
“The reincarnation must follow the principles of domestic recognition, the Golden Urn process, and approval by the central government, in line with religious traditions and laws,” Mao said. She added that China had incorporated these procedures into official regulations in 2007 and barred “interference by overseas individuals and parties.”
In a sharp rebuttal from New Delhi, Dhundup Gyalpo, Secretary at the Bureau of the Dalai Lama, dismissed China’s assertions on the social platform X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Lies, damned lies and Chinese propaganda.” He described the Golden Urn process as a “distorted version” of the traditional Tibetan method of dough-ball divination, used only when ambiguity arose among multiple candidates.
“When there are clear written instructions, signs, or visions pointing to a specific candidate, divination isn’t necessary,” Gyalpo stated. He noted that the Golden Urn was introduced during the Tibet-Gurkha conflict (1791–93), following Tibet’s appeal for Manchu military assistance. After the Gurkhas were repelled, Qing officials recommended the urn’s use in Dalai Lama selections. But, according to Gyalpo, it was never institutionalized and likely used only once, during the selection of the 11th Dalai Lama, primarily as a symbolic gesture.
He further stressed that China played no role in identifying or recognising the current 14th Dalai Lama. “Chinese representatives attended his enthronement in 1940 on visas issued by British India, merely as foreign guests,” he said.
Gyalpo also pointed out a fundamental doctrinal gap, stating that “Han Buddhism,” or Chinese Buddhism, lacks a reincarnation tradition, which is unique to Tibetan Buddhism. “Their system cannot dictate the reincarnation of a Tibetan spiritual figure,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Press Trust of India reported that Mao Ning’s remarks on the Dalai Lama were missing from the official transcript of the foreign ministry’s briefing, posted later on the Chinese government’s website.
The 14th Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since 1959, continues to remain a global symbol of non-violent resistance. He fled Tibet that year after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and the PLA’s occupation, sanctioned by Communist Party founder Mao Zedong.
The latest clash underscores the long-standing tensions over Tibet’s religious autonomy, with the Chinese Communist Party determined to maintain tight control, even over spiritual matters.
