India, March 23 -- China is keeping two doors open regarding the future of Tibet's spiritual leadership. On one hand, it has recently extended a conditional invitation for the Dalai Lama to return, provided he accepts Tibet as an "inalienable part of China." On the other hand, Beijing is actively preparing to install its own handpicked successor once the Dalai Lama, who will soon turn 90, passes away. This calculated approach-offering engagement while tightening control-reflects Beijing's broader effort to secure its grip over Tibet.

China's preconditions for the Dalai Lama's return include not only renouncing Tibetan independence but also recognising Beijing's authority over Taiwan. The Tibetan parliament-in-exile swiftly rejected these...