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.

Taking to social media recently, the Chinese diplomat shared that the Dalai Lama has no authority to decide whether the reincarnation system will continue or not

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. 2 leader, the Panchen Lama.