Dalai Lama confirms he will have successor after his death

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has announced during his 90th birthday week that there will indeed be a successor after his death, directly challenging Beijing's claim that only it can control the process.

Speaking in Dha-ram-shala, India, on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama affirmed that "the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue" and that the Caden Phodrang Trust, alongside senior Tibetan Buddhist leaders, will hold sole authority to identify his reincarnation.

He emphasized that his successor will likely be born outside China, underscoring his rejection of any candidate chosen under Beijing's system.

The decision resolves long-standing uncertainty and safeguards against China's claims of authority over Tibetan spiritual succession.

He outlined that the Trust, founded in 2011 and governed by Tibetan exiles, will consult senior monks and follow traditional procedures, possibly even nominating a "living" successor during his lifetime.

However, China asserts its own legal right to oversee the Dalai Lama's reincarnation and asserts that it would need to be approved by Beijing.