China has reacted to the announcement from the Dalai Lama that he will be reincarnated after his death and a successor will be appointed.

The Union minister’s statement came amid the heightened attention on the sensitive issue of the Tibetan spiritual leader’s succession.

The Dalai Lama has announced that he intends to reincarnate, paving the way for a successor to take on a mantle stretching back 500 years after his death