China: Dalai Lama successor must be approved by Beijing

China said on Wednesday that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama “must be approved by the central government”, after Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader said he would have a successor after his death.

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The current Dalai Lama, who turns 90 this week, has lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959.

He confirmed on Wednesday that the 600-year-old institution would continue, soothing the concerns of many Tibetans who feared a future without a spiritual and political focal point.

China, which views the current Dalai Lama as a separatist, countered that Beijing has the final say on who the successor will be.