Dalai Lama Says Trust Will Identify Successor, China Rejects Plan

Ahead of his 90th birthday, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Wednesday affirmed that the sacred institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise his future "reincarnation", declaring no one else can "interfere" in his succession plan.

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The statement by the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso that ended speculation on whether he will have a successor or not after his death is set to escalate tensions with China. The Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit organisation, was founded by the Office of Dalai Lama in 2015.

China rejected the Nobel Peace laureate's succession plan, insisting that any future heir must receive its seal of approval, adding a new chapter to Tibetan Buddhism's decades-long struggle with the Chinese ruling Communist Party.

The statement made by the 14th Dalai Lama, who is also called Lhama Thondup, on May 21, 2025, was released by his office on Wednesday, four days ahead of his birthday on Sunday. A 5.57-minute video of his speech in Tibetan was also released.