Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday, July 4, that it hopes India would stop using the issue of Tibet to interfere in China’s domestic affairs and avoid affecting the development of ties, Reuters reported.
“We hope the Indian side will fully understand the highly sensitive nature of Tibet-related issues, recognise the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama,” spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing.
The latest remark from China comes after Kiren Rijiju, India’s minister of parliamentary and minority affairs, expressed firm support to the Dalai Lama’s decision to continue the institution. He will be representing the Indian government at the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebration at his residence in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, July 6.
On July 2, the Tibetan spiritual leader announced that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue beyond his lifetime, asserting that the sole authority to search for his successor lies with members of his personal office, the Gaden Phodrang Trust. “No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” he said in a statement.
China, meanwhile, claims its government has the “final authority” in deciding the future of the Dalai Lama and that reincarnation process must be in compliance with the Chinese law.
The backing for the spiritual leader’s decision from a senior Indian minister is significant as India, unlike the US, does not have a clear official stance on Tibet or the Dalai Lama.
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China’s warning for India to stay away from the matter comes on heels of several months of efforts in improving bilateral relationship between India and China after almost five years of military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.
The Dalai Lama fled to exile in India in March 1959, following appeals from Tibetans to escape, fearing threat to his safety under Chinese rule. Today, more than 90,000 Tibetans live in India.
