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China, Tibet and the politics behind choosing a Buddhist spiritual leader

After him, the world may have two Dalai Lamas: one chosen by Beijing, the other by Tibetans in exile

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Dalai Lama

6 min read Last Updated : Mar 29 2023 | 5:46 PM IST

China has been stumped by a bolt-from-the-blue move by Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who has recognised an eight-year-old US-born Mongolian boy as the reincarnation of the third most important leader in Tibetan Buddhism.

The 14th Dalai Lama anointed the Mongolian boy as the tenth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche on March 8 in a ceremony reportedly attended by 5,000 monks and nuns, and some 600 Mongolians, in Dharamshala. This ordination is expected to further aggravate the tussle between China and Tibet, as the Chinese government is determined to choose the next leader through communist party regulations.

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