A senior Indian minister has said that only the Dalai Lama and the organization he has set up have the authority to identify his successor as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, in a rare comment contradicting rival China's long-held position.

NEW DELHI – India has firmly thrown its weight behind the Dalai Lama’s exclusive right to decide his successor, opposing China’s assertion that it holds the final say in the Tibetan spiritual leader’s reincarnation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that India should exercise caution in its words and actions, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs with Xizang related issues and avoid impact on the improvement and development of the China-India relationship.