China on Sunday underlined the fact that India had officially recognised Tibet as part of China and claimed that the issue had become a “thorn” in bilateral ties, the statement coming ahead of external affairs minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Beijing this week.

The spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in India, Yu Jing, made the remarks in response to a commentary by Indian foreign policy wonks on the Dalai Lama’s incarnation.

Yu did not refer to any specific comment in her detailed social media post but sought to drive home the point that Tibet was an internal matter of China. "As professionals in foreign affairs, they should be fully cognisant that… (the) Indian government has made political commitments to China. It recognises that Xizang Autonomous Region is part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China and India does not allow Tibetans to engage in political activities against China in India," she said.

China refers to Tibet as Xizang.

She added: "In reality, Xizang-related issue is a thorn in China-India relations and has become a burden for India. Playing the 'Xizang card' will definitely end up shooting oneself in the foot."

After the Dalai Lama announced the continuance of his spiritual and temporal office ahead of his 90th birthday and the process of selecting his successor last month, China asserted its authority in the matter. While India did not at first officially comment on the Dalai Lama’s announcement, the external affairs ministry broke its silence after China reacted sharply to Union minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju's remark that only the Dalai Lama and established conventions could determine his successor.