By Krishna N. Das
Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled to India from Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist. The Dalai Lama has previously said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing.
Samdhong Rinpoche, a senior official of the Dalai Lama鈥檚 non-profit trust, told reporters that the Dalai Lama was in good health, and he had not given any written instructions on the succession.
His successor could be of any gender, and their nationality would not be restricted to Tibet, Rinpoche said.
The Dalai Lama鈥檚 remarks came during a week of celebrations to mark his birthday, which is expected to be closely watched by the US, India and China for clues about his successor, for strategic reasons.