China asserts it will choose the next Dalai Lama, opposing the current Dalai Lama's claim of an external reincarnation.

The Chinese government claims it will have the final say in selecting the next Dalai Lama, contradicting the current Dalai Lama's statement that his reincarnation will be born outside China and not chosen by Beijing. Gama Cedain, a Tibetan official, says the process will follow religious rituals and historical customs. China previously installed its own Panchen Lama in 1995, after the Dalai Lama's choice disappeared.