China warns India after Rijiju's Dalai Lama remark, cites risk to bilateral ties

Beijing, July 4: China on Friday strongly objected to Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s recent statement that the incarnation of the Dalai Lama should be determined by the Tibetan spiritual leader himself, urging India to tread carefully on Tibet-related matters to prevent any adverse impact on bilateral ties.

Responding to a question during a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, “India must recognise the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama and uphold its commitments on Xizang-related issues.” (China refers to Tibet as Xizang.)

Mao Ning further said that “India should be cautious in its words and actions, and refrain from interfering in China’s internal affairs. Avoid damaging the prospects for improved China-India relations.”

Rijiju, on Thursday, had asserted that the decision regarding the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation rests solely with the established Tibetan Buddhist institutions and the spiritual leader himself — not with any external power.

His remarks marked the first official response from a senior Indian minister following recent comments made by the Dalai Lama regarding his successor.

On Wednesday, the Tibetan spiritual leader said that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue, and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust - founded by his office in 2015 - will have the authority to recognise his future reincarnation.

Rijiju's remarks came after China rejected the Nobel Peace laureate's succession plan, insisting that any future heir must receive its seal of approval.

Rijiju, a practising Buddhist, and Rajiv Ranjan Singh, a fellow Union minister, are representing the Government of India at the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday celebrations in Dharamshala on July 6.

The minister said that the birthday event is a religious function and has nothing to do with politics.

Mao reiterated China's stand that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, the second-high priest of Tibetan Buddhism, has to comply with rigorous religious rituals and historical conventions in line with domestic search, lots drawn from a 'golden urn' and the central government's approval.

The present 14th Dalai Lama went through this procedure and was approved by the then-central government, she said.

The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must uphold those principles and follow religious rituals, historical conventions, Chinese law and regulations, she said.

Mao's comments related to the improvement and development of relations refer to the efforts by both India and China to normalisation of ties after over four years of freeze following the Eastern Ladakh standoff.

The two countries resumed ties after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at Kazan in Russia last year followed by a series of high-level meetings.

The resumption of the Kailash and Mansarovar Yatra for Indian pilgrims, which began recently, is stated to be the first step initiated by the two countries to normalise ties.

PTI