• India asserts the Dalai Lama's organization alone can identify his successor.
• China demands India cease interference regarding Tibet's succession issues.
• Diplomatic tensions between India and China continue over Dalai Lama's status.

India has publicly supported the Dalai Lama's authority over his succession, contradicting China's long-held assertion. Kiren Rijiju, India's minister of parliamentary and minority affairs, stated that only the Dalai Lama and the Gaden Phodrang Trust have the authority to name his successor, emphasizing that "No one has the right to interfere" in the decision-making process. This goes against Beijing's claim that it has the right to approve the successor as part of its historical mandate, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

In response, the Chinese government urged India to refrain from using Tibet issues to interfere in its domestic affairs, marking another pushback against India's support of the Dalai Lama's stance. The Chinese foreign ministry reiterated that discussions around the Dalai Lama's succession are "highly sensitive" and should adhere to historical conventions, including government-sanctioned processes. Such remarks underline the diplomatic friction between the two nations, particularly regarding Tibet, according to TRT Global and South China Morning Post.

The Dalai Lama's influence remains significant in India, where he has resided since 1959 and garnered deep reverence among the local Tibetan Buddhist community. This backing is seen by some analysts as providing India with leverage against China in their ongoing diplomatic engagements. Although India officially recognizes Tibet as part of China, it hosts a large Tibetan exile population and has engaged in various forms of support for them over the decades, as noted by Reuters and TRT Global.

The situation highlights the fragile state of India-China relations, particularly following a severe border clash in 2020 and ongoing territorial disputes. Progress has been made in recent months, including new agreements and a cautious thawing of relations, yet the succession of the Dalai Lama remains a polarizing issue capable of straining ties further, according to TRT Global, Reuters, and South China Morning Post.