Days before turning 90, the Dalai Lama—the highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism and a unifying cultural symbol for the Tibetan diaspora worldwide—made a much-awaited statement in the quaint Himalayan town of Dharamshala in northern India, where he has lived in exile for 66 years. He confirmed that the spiritual institution he represents “will continue,” ending 14 years of uncertainty over the question. This carries far-reaching implications for Tibet’s religious freedom, cultural survival, and political autonomy, as China seeks to control the process and install a loyalist figurehead to tighten its grip on the resource-rich region.