(TibetanReview.net, Jul07’25) – As expected, China has on Jul 7 protested to India over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday and the attendance of Indian ministers at the birthday celebrations, demanding that New Delhi fully appreciate Beijing’s sensitivities on Tibet-related issues.
The comment came from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning when she was asked about the above two incidents during a media briefing in Beijing.
“The 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile, who for a long, has been engaged in separatist activities and attempted to separate Xizang from China under the cover of religion, the PTI news agency quoted Mao as alleging.
“Xizang” is China’s politically redefined name for Tibet with the aim to cement its Sinicization.
“India should fully appreciate the great sensitivity of Xizang-related issues and recognise the anti-separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama and honour the commitment it made to China on issues related to Xizang,” Mao has said.
The Dalai Lama, of course, only seeks genuine autonomy for his Tibetan homeland, something to which China has been turning deaf ears over the last nearly four decades or so.
Mao wanted India to “act and speak prudently and stop using this issue to meddle in China’s internal affairs,” adding that “China has protested to the Indian side” on the matter.
Earlier, paying glowing tribute to the Dalai Lama in his Jul 6 posting on the X, Modi wrote: “On behalf of 1.4 billion Indians, I extend heartfelt birthday greetings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is a symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline.”
Apparently emphasizing that he was honouring the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader, Modi further wrote: “His message has inspired respect and admiration across all faiths. We pray for his continued good health and long life.”
The two Union government ministers who attended the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday commemoration were Kiren Rijiju and Rajiv Ranjan Singh.
On Jul 6, China had objected to Rijiju’s previous statement that it was entirely up to the Dalai Lama to determine his own reincarnation, and no one else had any basis to interfere. Mao then demanded that India act cautiously on Tibet-related issues to avoid affecting the improvement of bilateral relations.
India should be clear of the anti-China separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama and honour its commitments on Tibet-related issues, Mao had told the media in Beijing, reacting to Rijiju’s assertion.
In his address at the commemorative gathering, Rijiju said, “…Your holiness, you are more than a spiritual leader. You are a living bridge between ancient wisdom and the modern world.”
And he added, “We feel blessed by his presence in our country, which he regards as his ‘aryabhoomi’.”