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.

The Dalai Lama has said that he hopes to live beyond 130 years, restating that only his trust can decide his reincarnation, effectively countering China's claim of control over the process.