CHINA-TIBET: AT NPC CHINA REASSERTS RIGHT TO APPOINT DALAI LAMA

On March 19, the 83-year old Dalai Lama told Reuters news agency that “In future, in case you see two Dalai Lamas come, one from here, in free country, one chosen by Chinese, then nobody will trust, nobody will respect [the one chosen by China]. So that’s an additional problem for the Chinese! It’s possible, it can happen.” The very next day (March 20) the Chinese government reacted. Geng Shuang, spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated:
 "Reincarnation of living Buddhas, as a unique institution of inheritance in Tibetan Buddhism, comes with a set range of rituals and conventions. The Chinese government implements the policy of freedom of religious belief. The reincarnation system is respected and protected by such legal instruments as Regulations on Religious Affairs and Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas.
The institution of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama has been in existence for several hundred years. The 14th Dalai Lama himself was found and recognized following religious rituals and historical conventions and his enthronement was approved by the then central government. Therefore reincarnation of living Buddhas including the Dalai Lama must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow religious rituals and historical conventions." Prefacing his reply to a question by a journalist, Geng Shuang said he had been waiting for the specific question  and his reply was "authoritative".






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