(TibetanReview.net, Jun06’25) – The Chinese-government-appointed 11th Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu, has on Jun 6 called on President Xi Jinping to receive a lecture on playing greater role in winning Tibetan loyalty to the Communist Party of China-state. The report on the meeting came as China stepped up its propaganda campaign to appoint its own “reincarnation” of the current, 14th Dalai Lama, with Gyaincain Norbu being expected to play a religious charade to give a veneer of credibility to the process.
Xi called on “Panchen Rinpoche” to make greater contributions to promoting ethnic unity and religious harmony, as well as the stability, development and progress in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency Jun 6, emphasizing the Chinese-ness of the Tibetan region, including by calling the occupied territory by its Sinicized name.
The report said, “Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission” received Gyaincain Norbu at Zhongnanhai.
Zhongnanhai houses the offices and residence for the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the State Council, in Beijing.
A photo shows Gyaincain Norbu offering a white Khatag (Tibetan ceremonial greeting scarf) to Xi. Another photo shows the two meeting in a hall, flanked by two senior-looking monks on Gyaincain Norbu’s side and lay Chinese officials, apparently including party United Front Work Department officials, on Xi’s side.
China has been grooming Gyaincain Norbu since 1995 – after kidnapping and disappearing the Dalai Lama-recognized 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima – to help it win the Tibetan people’s loyalty to the Communist Party of China-state. But his capability to play that role is limited by his lack of general acceptability and the fact that China keeps him in Beijing, while taking him on yearly months-long trips to different parts of Tibet to hold religious ceremonies and teachings, give lectures, and make ceremonial appearances.
But his biggest role may be to play a religious charade to give a fake stamp of legitimacy to China’s appointment of its own “reincarnation” of the current Dalai Lama when the time comes.
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Meanwhile, the AP Jun 6 cited another Xinhua report as saying Gyaltsen (Gyaincain) Norbu, 35, assured Xi that he would “firmly support the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and resolutely safeguard the unity of the motherland and national unity.”
Also, the scmp.com Jun 6 cited state media as saying Xi also called on Gyaincain Norbu for continued efforts to promote the “sinicisation of religion”. It cited a Xinhua report as saying the “Panchen Lama” pledged to play a role in “strengthening the sense of community for the Chinese nation”, “systematically advancing the sinicisation of religion in China” and “promoting the modernisation of Tibet”.