The succession of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is a “thorn” in China-India relations, says the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.

The remarks on Sunday came ahead of the first visit by India’s foreign minister to China since the deadly border clashes between the South Asian powers in 2020.

“In reality, [the] Xizang-related issue is a thorn in China-India relations and has become a burden for India,” Yu Jing, a Chinese embassy spokesperson, posted on X, referring to “Xizang”, the Chinese name for Tibet.

Ahead of celebrations this month for his 90th birthday that were attended by senior Indian ministers, the Dalai Lama angered China again by saying it had no role in his succession.

Tibetans believe the soul of any senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated after his death, but China says the succession will also have to be approved by its leaders.

The Dalai Lama has been living in exile in India since 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet.

Indian foreign relations experts say his presence gives New Delhi leverage against China. India is also home to about 70,000 Tibetans and a Tibetan government-in-exile.

In her post, spokesperson Yu, without naming anyone, said some people from strategic and academic communities in India had made “improper remarks” on the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.

“As professionals in foreign affairs, they should be fully cognizant of the sensitivity of issues related to Xizang,” Yu said. “The reincarnation and succession of the Dalai Lama is inherently an internal affair of China.”

Indian Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who sat next to the Dalai Lama during his 90th birthday festivities a week ago, has said that as a practising Buddhist, he believes only the spiritual leader and his office have the authority to decide on his reincarnation.

India’s Foreign Ministry said on July 4, two days before the Dalai Lama’s birthday, that New Delhi does not take any position or speak on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion.

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be attending a regional security meeting under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Tianjin in northern China on July 15 and hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

This will be one of the highest-level visits between India and China since their relations nosedived after a deadly border clash in 2020 that killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.