Lobsang Sangay said he would regard a successor chosen by the Dalai Lama’s office and monks as legitimate, rejecting Beijing’s claim to name one; he said U.S.-China talks had reduced focus on Tibet.
In an interview published Thursday by FRANCE 24, Sangay said a successor selected by the office and monks would be “the real one.” He called a China-appointed successor “a fake one.” FRANCE 24 described the Dalai Lama as 91. Sangay led the Tibetan government-in-exile from 2011 to 2021.
Sangay also criticized China’s law on promoting ethnic unity and progress. FRANCE 24 reported that the law took effect July 1. Sangay described it as “ethnic erasure or assimilation” and warned that its reach could extend beyond China’s borders.
Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington last month, Sangay said Washington’s pursuit of more trade with Beijing had left Tibetan concerns with less attention. He said Beijing had benefited more than any other country from the war in Ukraine.
Sangay criticized China’s response to the deadly Aug. 26 floods near the Nepal-Tibet border, accusing the government of doing too little to save lives and issue timely warnings. He said Chinese authorities had reported fewer than 100 deaths, while hundreds remained missing on the Tibet side.
