The dilemma Xi Jinping faces in using the Chinese-sponsored ‘Panchen Lama’ to legitimize his choice for the next Dalai Lama has grown multifaceted and increasingly complicated due to the lack of credibility of the ‘Panchen Zuma.’
Xi Jinping’s efforts to impose his own choice for the 15th Dalai Lama, after the current Dalai Lama’s passing, have faced significant obstacles. The primary source of this dilemma is Gyaltsen Norbu, the ‘puppet’ Panchen Lama installed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Norbu has failed to gain the trust and respect of ordinary Tibetans. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama are meant to play the roles of spiritual mentors to each other, while also recognizing the other’s reincarnation after death, according to the international media.
While the Dalai Lama fled to India following the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, the late Panchen Lama chose to remain in Tibet. Despite his loyalty to Tibet, he became a hero for the Tibetan people after openly criticizing Mao Zedong and the CCP for their oppression of Tibetans. For this, he spent 15 years in prison and, in January 1989, was found dead shortly after criticizing the Chinese authorities in Shigatse—a death officially attributed to a heart attack, but widely suspected to have been the result of foul play.
Xi Jinping’s dilemma deepened with the existence of two competing Panchen Lamas: Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, recognized by the exiled Dalai Lama, and Gyaltsen Norbu, forcibly imposed by Beijing. Complicating matters further, both Panchen Lamas are under the physical control of the Chinese government, yet neither is seen as fully qualified to fulfill this crucial spiritual role. Gedhun Nyima’s fate remains a mystery after he and his family were taken into custody in 1995, shortly after the Dalai Lama recognized him as the Panchen Lama. Despite international outcry, China has kept his whereabouts a closely guarded secret, offering only vague assurances about his “well-being.”
Since Norbu’s installation, the CCP has worked tirelessly to present him as Tibet’s supreme spiritual leader, using him as a symbol of their ‘liberal’ religious policy at domestic and international events, such as the World Buddhist Forum. His increasing appearances and activities, including a controversial visit to Thailand in 2019 and domestic tours of Tibetan monasteries, fit into Beijing’s broader strategy to sinicize Tibetan Buddhism. As Vice-Chairman of the CCP-controlled Buddhist Association of China, Norbu’s allegiance lies not with spiritual teachings but with the Communist Party. His role has been reduced to a political tool of the CCP.
The Tibetan people, however, have consistently resisted Beijing’s efforts to impose Norbu as the Panchen Lama. They dismiss him with terms like ‘Gyami Panchen’ (meaning ‘Chinese Panchen’) or ‘Panchen Zuma’ (meaning ‘Fake Panchen’), and refuse to attend his teachings or meetings. Reports suggest that Chinese authorities have resorted to offering cash incentives and applying police pressure to ensure a Tibetan audience during his visits. As a result, the 11th ‘Gyami Panchen Lama’ has become a significant political liability for President Xi Jinping and the CCP.