Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the elected political leader of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), has warned that China is actively preparing to assert authority over the selection of the next Dalai Lama — a move he described as a calculated bid to extend state control over Tibetan Buddhism itself. Speaking in Washington on 13 November 2026, Tsering said the reincarnation dispute had become a defining issue for Tibetans globally and for governments that champion religious freedom.

Beijing's Strategy: Reincarnation as Political Control

'They believe that if they can control the next Dalai Lama's reincarnation, they can control the whole of Tibet,' Tsering said, characterising Beijing's approach as fundamentally political rather than religious. He accused Chinese authorities of issuing formal rules to govern the recognition of reincarnated religious figures — rules specifically designed to give the state final authority over the identity of the 15th Dalai Lama.

Tsering further alleged that monasteries inside Tibet were being redirected away from religious scholarship and toward political education, including compulsory study of Chinese President Xi Jinping's ideology. He argued that such requirements were structurally incompatible with Buddhist practice and amounted to the ideological capture of a sacred tradition.

The Dalai Lama's Own Position

According to Tsering, the current Dalai Lama — who turned 90 in July 2025 — had already made his wishes known before that milestone birthday. The spiritual leader had indicated, Tsering said, that he would be reborn in 'a free world', explicitly ruling out reincarnation under the supervision of the Chinese government. Tsering argued that the right to determine religious succession rested with the spiritual tradition itself, not with what he described as 'an atheist ruling party.'

'So a government that does not believe in any religion, how can they be responsible for a sacred religious tradition that we have been following over the years, centuries, which is very unique to Tibetan Buddhism,' he said.

The Panchen Lama Precedent

Tsering invoked the unresolved case of the Panchen Lama recognised by the Dalai Lama, whose whereabouts have remained unknown to the Tibetan leadership since his disappearance. 'We still don't know whether he's alive or not,' he said. He alleged that Beijing promoted its own state-approved Panchen Lama and suggested that China might deploy that figure to influence or legitimise the future identification of a Dalai Lama successor — an outcome he described as wholly unacceptable to Tibetan Buddhists who follow the present spiritual leader.

US Legislation and India's Role

Tsering noted that the question of Tibetan religious succession had drawn bipartisan concern in the United States. He pointed to US legislation on Tibet, updated in 2020, which he said included provisions for sanctions against Chinese officials found to have interfered with the Dalai Lama's succession process. 'So here we have a very strong position from the US government,' he said.

He also drew a parallel with India, saying its tradition of religious pluralism and commitment to freedom of belief made it a vital partner for the Tibetan cause. Tsering said Tibetans were preparing for the eventual transition while relying on the Dalai Lama's own public guidance, and that the central question was not simply who would be recognised — but whether Tibetans would be free to practise their faith without state interference.