The Dalai Lama's recent affirmation that only his office holds the authority to identify his successor is a strong counter to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) ongoing attempts to interfere in Tibetan religious affairs,

The clash is a long time in the making with the Dalai Lama insisting the Chinese government will have absolutely no say in the selection.

By Laurie Chen and Krishna N. Das BEIJING/DHARAMSHALA, India (Reuters) -Weeks before the Dalai Lama ruled out China's role in choosing his successor, President Xi Jinping met a Tibetan Buddhist monk installed three decades ago by Beijing as the faith's No.