Dalai Lama confirms he will reincarnate after his death, while China insists it must approve his successor

On July 2, 2025, the Dalai Lama issued a landmark declaration affirming that the centuries-old institution of the Dalai Lama will continue after his passing, bringing clarity to years of speculation surrounding the future of one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most sacred traditions. The announcement comes just days before his 90th birthday, which will be celebrated on July 6.

The statement, dated May 21 and released on X, stated: “In accordance with all these requests, I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue.” The 14th Dalai Lama made this declaration following persistent appeals from Tibetan Buddhist leaders, global followers, and exiled Tibetan institutions urging him to preserve the lineage.

The spiritual leader presided over his 90th birthday celebrations, according to the Tibetan calendar, at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharamshala on June 30.

Marking a shift from his earlier position, the Dalai Lama acknowledged that while he had previously left the question of succession open to public and religious consultation, especially in a 1969 statement, he had now made a definitive decision. “When I am about ninety, I will consult the high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the Tibetan public, and other concerned people who follow Tibetan Buddhism, to re-evaluate whether or not the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue,” he had previously stated.

Although no public discussions were held over the past 14 years, the Dalai Lama revealed he had received consistent requests from Tibetan parliamentarians in exile, Buddhist leaders from Mongolia, the Himalayas, parts of Russia, mainland China, and—significantly—from Tibetans living inside Tibet. These internal appeals carry added significance, given China’s continued efforts to dominate religious authority in the region.

The Dalai Lama also clearly laid out the succession process. He emphasized that his reincarnation would be born outside of China and that the responsibility of identifying his successor rests solely with the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the official non-profit office of the Dalai Lama. “No one else has any authority to interfere in this matter,” he declared.

China, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist, responded by insisting that any reincarnation must comply with its laws and traditions. The Chinese foreign ministry stated that the process must align with “Chinese laws, religious rituals, and historical customs.”

The Dalai Lama’s statement reasserts the autonomy of Tibetan religious traditions and directly challenges China’s claim over the reincarnation process. It also reinforces the role of the Tibetan exile community in safeguarding its spiritual and cultural heritage, more than six decades after the Dalai Lama fled to India following the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.