Beijing has lodged a protest with India over two Union ministers attending the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebrations in Dharamshala, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeting the Tibetan spiritual leader, calling these moves an interference in China’s internal affairs.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning revealed the lodging of the protest in response to a question at a daily briefing. “The position of the Chinese government on Xizang-related issues is consistent and clear,” she said.

The spokesperson added: “As is widely known, the 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile who has long engaged in anti-China separatist activities and seeks to separate Xizang from China under the cloak of religion.”

China refers to Tibet as Xizang.

The Chinese spokesperson said: “India needs to be fully cognisant of the sensitivity of issues related to Xizang, see clearly the anti-China and separatist nature of the 14th Dalai Lama, honour the commitments India has made to China on issues related to Xizang, act prudently, and stop using those issues to interfere in China’s internal affairs. China has protested to India regarding its actions.”

Modi had on Sunday extended birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama on X.

“I join 1.4 billion Indians in extending our warmest wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday,” he posted.

“He has been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline. His message has inspired respect and admiration across all faiths. We pray for his continued good health and long life.”

The government sent minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju and fisheries minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh to Dharamshala to attend the main birthday celebrations, organised by the Central Tibetan Administration (the Tibetan government-in-exile).

Pema Khandu, chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh – most of which China claims – too participated in the event.

Mao Ning’s comments on Monday marked the second time in less than a week that China had objected to India’s engagement with the Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations.

Last week, after Rijiju had backed the Dalai Lama’s announcement about his Gaden Phodrang Trust having sole authority to recognise his reincarnation, China had warned India against interfering in its internal matters relating to Tibet.

Beijing, which insists that its approval is mandatory for the appointment of religious heads, said such Indian interference could affect bilateral relations, which “are at a crucial stage of improvement and development”.

Following this, the external affairs ministry had clarified that India’s government “does not take any position or speak on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion”.

However, at Sunday’s event in Dharamshala, Rijiju said: “I want to emphatically state that whatever decision taken by His Holiness, the established conventions and traditions, we will fully abide by it and follow the directions and guidelines to be issued from the institution of the Dalai Lama.”

Although Rijiju claimed to have spoken as a devotee, he was in Dharamshala in his official capacity.

Mao Ning was also asked for a response to India’s deputy army chief Rahul R. Singh’s remark that China had used the recent India-Pakistan conflict as a “live lab” to test various defence systems.

She said: “Defence and security cooperation is part of the normal cooperation between the two countries and does not target any third party. India and Pakistan are and will always be each other’s neighbours. They are important neighbours of China as well.”