Goa, July 4 -- China has strongly objected to recent comments made by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju concerning the succession of the Dalai Lama, urging India to exercise caution on Tibet-related matters to avoid straining bilateral ties. Rijiju, ahead of his visit to Dharamshala for the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday celebrations, asserted that the authority to choose the next Dalai Lama lies solely with the Tibetan spiritual leader and the Gaden Phodrang Trust. He stressed that "no one else has the right to decide it except him and the conventions in place," directly countering Beijing's long-standing position that the Chinese government must approve the reincarnation.

Responding to Rijiju's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao ...