Marking his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama directly challenged China’s efforts to control Tibetan Buddhist succession. He announced that his reincarnation will take place outside China and Tibet, with recognition granted solely by India’s Gaden Phodrang Trust.

China has been repeatedly claiming the authority to appoint the next Dalai Lama, a move Tibetans see as an effort to exert political control over Tibetan Buddhism.