“I still hope to live for over 130 years,” the Dalai Lama told followers around the world and those gathered in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala, where he has lived since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

China said it has the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor, warning India against any interference in its 'domestic affairs'.

The contentious issue is potentially a flashpoint in India’s relationship with China, which has shown signs of a thaw, despite Beijing openly taking sides with Pakistan during the four-day Indo-Pakistan conflict in May.