A senior Indian minister has said that only the Dalai Lama and the organization he has set up have the authority to identify his successor as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, in a rare comment contradicting rival China's long-held position.

India should exercise caution in its words and actions, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs with Xizang (Tibet) related issues and avoid impact on the improvement and development of the China-India relationship,

BEIJING/DHARAMSHALA, India (Reuters) -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.