China has condemned the Dalai Lama ahead of his 90th birthday for asserting that Tibetans in exile will choose his successor. Beijing, which labels him a "separatist," insists it will decide who the next Dalai Lama is. Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama is reincarnated and identified through spiritual practices. China, however, plans to appoint the next one itself. The Chinese Communist Party has tightly controlled Tibet since its 1950 takeover, leading to the Dalai Lama’s exile in 1959