The Dalai Lama’s remarks arrive as Beijing tightens its grip on Tibet, following a 2025 memorandum that expanded Chinese oversight over cultural institutions in the region.
In July 2025, the spiritual leader announced that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which administers his office, will choose his successor, a move Beijing insists must receive government approval.
The Central Tibetan Administration, the exile government, has called on Tibetan Buddhists, foreign governments, and the international community to prepare for the upcoming transition and to resist any attempt by Beijing to co‑opt the succession process.
The Dalai Lama’s memoir, released in March 2025, underscored the necessity of Tibetan schools for preserving language and heritage amid a 75‑year struggle for autonomy.
Human rights groups have criticised Tibet’s state‑run boarding schools for promoting forced assimilation, while Beijing defends its policies as promoting development and ethnic unity.
The Dalai Lama’s confirmation is expected to trigger a diplomatic push in the coming weeks, with the Central Tibetan Administration slated to brief the UN Human Rights Council on 12 July and seek international backing for its succession plan.