(TibetanReview.net, Feb14’26) – China has on Feb 12 acknowledged the achievements made by Gyaincain Norbu in his role as the Chinese government’s replacement for the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet, but called on him to further reinforce his Sinicization drive in the Tibetan Plateau region.
Meeting Gyaincain Norbu in Beijing, Li Ganjie, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, extended Spring Festival and Tibetan New Year greetings to “Panchen Rinpoche” and those from the Tibetan Buddhist community, reported China’s online Tibet news service m.tibet.cn Feb 13.
Both Tibetans and Chinese usher in their Losar (New Year) and Spring Festival, respectively, on Feb 18 this year.
The report said Li acknowledged the achievements made by “Panchen Rinpoche” over the past year. He has then called on the China-appointed Tibetan religious leader to “reinforce the sense of the Chinese nation as one community, take an active part in building the community of the Chinese nation, and play an active role in systematically adapting religions to the Chinese context and providing guidance to the Tibetan Buddhism so that it can adapt to socialist society.”
Gyaincain Norbu lives in Beijing under the supervision of the United Front Work Department of the CPC. He is taken on tours to the Tibetan Plateau region for around six months each year to carry out his Sinicization mandate.
The traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas is the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse City, Tibet, and the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima has continued to remain disappeared ever since the Chinese government abducted him, with his family, in 1995, within days of being recognized by the Dalai Lama. And it appointed Gyaincain Norbu in his place.
According to the report, Gyaincain Norbu said that “he will always firmly uphold the leadership of the CPC, resolutely safeguard national unity, and make greater contributions to promoting ethnic unity, religious harmony and Xizang’s stability, development and progress.”
“Xizang” is China’s Sinicized name for Tibet.