China grooms Panchen Lama for post-Dalai Lama era

THE issue of the XIVth Dalai Lama’s reincarnation, or emanation, and that of Tibet have gained prominence over the past year. The release of the XIVth Dalai Lama’s book ‘Voice of the Voiceless‘ in March this year, where he hoped the book would “provide a framework for the future of Tibet even after I am gone", has given it impetus.

Senior Chinese cadre Li Decheng, Deputy Secretary-General and Researcher of the China Tibetology Research Center, commented in March 2025 that “If the next Dalai Lama is declared to have been reincarnated abroad, I think it is illegal", adding that observations by the US had no impact on China.

The increased tempo of Tibet-related activity by the Chinese authorities was capped by the rather unusual, but important, meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, on June 5. It confirmed the attention these issues are receiving at the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership.

There has been particular emphasis on these aspects in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) since 2024. While TAR United Front Work Department (UFWD) cadres inspect monasteries almost each month, the Head of the TAR UFWD personally inspected at least six important monasteries between August 2024 and April 2025. So have the TAR Party Secretary and Chairman of the TAR Peoples Government.

Each emphasised the need to align Tibetan Buddhism with ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era’, accelerate the sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism and forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. There has simultaneously been emphasis on border defence and increasing the number of border defence villages.

Underscoring the importance of the June 5, meeting, the People’s Daily published a photograph on its front page, showing that China’s seniormost leaders directly involved with Tibetan affairs were present.

These were Politburo Standing Committee member and Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wang Huning, Politburo Standing Committee member and Director of the CCP Central Committee (CC) General Office Cai Qi and Politburo member and Head of the United Front Work Department Li Ganjie.

Besides Xi Jinping — who has taken a keen interest in Tibetan affairs since his time as China’s Vice-President and was earlier involved in organising the first World Buddhist Forum in 2006 when he was Party Secretary of Zhejiang province — each of the others has been associated with Tibetan affairs.

Gyaltsen Norbu, too, was accompanied by two monks, but they were unidentified. Probably, they are his tutors.

Of those present, Wang Huning, the CCP’s leading ideologue and Chairman of the CPPCC which supervises ethnic minority and religious issues, has a long association with Tibetan affairs. He represented Tibet as a delegate to the National People’s Congress (NPC) in 2016. Wang Huning has visited Tibet at least twice since then.

During a three-day research tour from July 25 to 27, 2023, he travelled to Lhasa, Shannan and Nyingtri and inspected the planning and construction of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway. Wang Huning also attended the Fourth Tibet Aid Work Meeting in Lhasa on August 27, 2024.

Cai Qi, similarly, has a long association with Tibet. As Politburo member and Party Secretary of Beijing, he was involved with Beijing Municipality’s Aid-Tibet projects and led a delegation to Tibet from September 5 to 6, 2021.

Politburo member Li Ganjie, who, in April, was appointed Head of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) which is directly responsible for ethnic minority and religious affairs, has also been associated with Tibet for over a decade. As Party Secretary of Shandong, Li Ganjie led a delegation to Tibet in July 2021 to enhance the ‘aid work’ to Tibet and the following month, organised a symposium in Lhasa on the support work being done by Shandong province.

Not much has been revealed about the discussions at the meeting on June 5, but the importance of the Panchen Lama’s role in the reincarnation process of the XIVth Dalai Lama would have been at the top of the agenda. So also would have been the issue of ensuring that Tibetan Buddhist monks align with the CCP and accelerate the sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism.

Xi Jinping’s comments during the meeting with the Panchen Lama, as reported by Xinhua, are quite telling. Appearing to reflect leadership concerns, Xi Jinping expressed “the hope that Panchen Rinpoche will carry forward the Tibetan Buddhist circle’s traditions of patriotism and religious piety, and unswervingly safeguard national unity and ethnic solidarity." He hoped the Panchen Lama would study harder and “enhance religious attainments."

Xi Jinping urged Gyaltsen Norbu to “play a better role in forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation" and in the sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism. He also advised him to “remain prudent and disciplined and maintain a fine moral character."

Other senior CCP cadres, including the Head of the UFWD and at least two party secretaries, have similarly pointedly advised Gyaltsen Norbu over the past year.

The hesitation thus far in giving the China-appointed Panchen Lama greater prominence and Xi Jinping’s remarks suggest that Chinese leaders are either not sure about his reliability, or feel that he is not adequately cognisant with religious scriptures.

It is likely, however, that the CCP will seek to project Gyaltsen Norbu as the second ranking figure in Tibetan Buddhism’s Gelug sect at the at the next World Buddhist Forum to be held in China.

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