The question of who gets to choose Tibet’s next spiritual leader has reignited tensions between the Chinese government and the Tibetan exile community. While the 14th Dalai Lama has firmly declared that only the Gaden Phodrang Trust, operating out of India, holds the exclusive right to recognise his successor, Beijing insists otherwise.
Dalai Lama asserts sole authority over reincarnation
Recently, the 14th Dalai Lama reiterated that no external authority has the legitimacy to interfere in the process of selecting his reincarnation. He has also indicated that his next incarnation will be born in a “free world,” a pointed reference to regions beyond China’s influence.
However, Chinese officials continue to maintain that any reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist leaders must adhere to Chinese laws, religious rituals, and so-called historical traditions. This clash has deepened a decades-long power struggle over Tibetan spiritual and cultural identity.
China’s handpicked panchen lama: Gyaltsen Norbu
At the heart of this dispute is Gyaltsen Norbu, the Tibetan Buddhist monk whom Beijing designated as the 11th Panchen Lama back in 1995. The Chinese government installed Norbu after rejecting the Dalai Lama’s choice-a six-year-old boy named Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who mysteriously disappeared shortly after his recognition and has not been seen in nearly 30 years.
Unlike the Dalai Lama’s candidate, Norbu is regularly showcased in China’s state-controlled media, where he expresses support for Communist Party policies and praises efforts to integrate Tibetan Buddhism with Chinese national identity.
Rising profile and political alignment
As he has matured, Gyaltsen Norbu’s public role has steadily expanded. He joined China's top political advisory body, attended high-level meetings i Beijing and frequently visits Tibetan regions under Chinese administration.
Recently, Norbu met with President Xi Jinping, pledging to advance the “sinicisation” of Tibetan Buddhism-a term referring to aligning religious practices more closely with Chinese socialist values. According to state media reports, Norbu vowed to uphold Xi Jinping’s teachings, defend national unity, and promote ethnic solidarity. Xi, in turn, urged him to foster a strong sense of community among the Chinese nation and to continue the “patriotic religious traditions” that Beijing encourages.
Disputed legitimacy and wider implications
Among Tibetan communities, both inside Tibet and in exile, Norbu’s appointment is widely seen as part of Beijing’s long-term strategy to control the succession of the Dalai Lama himself. Experts say this would allow China to install a compliant figurehead when the current Dalai Lama eventually passes away.
China brands the Dalai Lama a separatist leader who seeks to split Tibet from Chinese sovereignty-an accusation he denies. For decades, he has advocated genuine autonomy and the preservation of Tibetan culture and religion, rather than outright independence.
The missing panchen lama
Meanwhile, the fate of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, recognised by the Dalai Lama as the true 11th Panchen Lama, remains shrouded in secrecy. Chinese authorities claim he is living a normal life, but they have provided no credible evidence. International human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and the UN, continue to call for proof of his well-being and freedom.
As the Dalai Lama grows older, the question of his reincarnation looms ever larger, with China determined to control the process and many Tibetans resolved to resist any attempt to politicise their faith.
