The second-highest spiritual head in Tibetan Buddhism, a young Tibetan controversially selected by China’s atheist Communist Party, has promised to make Tibetan Buddhism more Chinese.
Beijing deposed the Dalai Lama, the top authority in the faith, by installing Gyaltsen Norbu as the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995. The Dalai Lama’s choice for the position, a six-year-old kid, has since disappeared from the public eye. China has not yet disclosed any details on the location of the missing boy.
Many Tibetans, both domestically and abroad, reject the Beijing-appointed Panchen Lama as a fake. However, he is frequently cited in China’s official media as supporting the Communist Party’s stance and applauding its Tibet policies.
According to state news agency Xinhua, Gyaltsen Norbu promised to contribute to the advancement of ethnic unity and the methodical advancement of “the sinicization of religion” at a rare meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday.
The comments allude to Xi’s broad push to rid religions of foreign influence and bring them closer to native Chinese culture, as well as the totalitarian control of the Communist Party, which is officially atheist. According to Xinhua, Gyaltsen Norbu also pledged to uphold national unity and ethnic solidarity, steadfastly support the party’s leadership, and keep Xi’s teachings in mind.
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