Xi Jinping Meets China-Appointed Panchen Lama in Beijing

Gyaincain Norbu, the Chinese-appointed 11th Panchen Lama, met with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on 6 June, reported Xinhua. Xi urged him to promote ethnic unity and the sinicisation of religion in Tibet, as China intensifies its propaganda ahead of choosing a successor to the 14th Dalai Lama. Gyaincain Norbu, who was appointed in 1995 after China abducted the Dalai Lama-recognised Panchen Lama, pledged loyalty to the Communist Party and national unity. Observers say his role may be to lend legitimacy to Beijing’s planned selection of a future Dalai Lama, despite lacking acceptance among Tibetans.