China has vehemently denounced the Grammy Award recognition bestowed upon the Dalai Lama, characterizing the prestigious music industry honor as an instrument of political warfare against Beijing. The Tibetan spiritual leader, residing in exile in India since 1959, received the award for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording for his work “Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian articulated Beijing’s firm opposition during a press briefing on Monday, asserting that the 14th Dalai Lama represents not merely a religious figure but rather a political exile masterminding anti-China separatist activities under religious pretexts. “We firmly oppose the relevant party using the award as a tool for anti-China political manipulation,” Lin declared.
The Dalai Lama, perceived globally as the symbolic leader of Tibet’s autonomy movement, expressed gratitude for the recognition, describing it in his official statement as an acknowledgment of “our shared universal responsibility” which he accepted with “gratitude and humility.”
This diplomatic confrontation occurs against the backdrop of longstanding tensions between Beijing and Tibetan exile communities. China administers Tibet as an autonomous region despite persistent allegations of cultural suppression targeting Tibetan language, traditions, and identity. The dispute extends to the contentious matter of succession planning for the spiritual leadership, with Beijing insisting the next Dalai Lama must be born in Tibet and sanctioned by the Communist Party, while the current Dalai Lama maintains his successor should emerge from a free country without Chinese involvement.