BEIJING, March 16 (UPI) -- Gyaincain Norbu, whom China recognizes as Tibet's 11th Panchen Lama, says his country can only achieve a bright future under Chinese rule.
Visiting an exhibition in Beijing Sunday displaying what Chinese officials called the "economic and social progress that Tibet Autonomous Region has achieved in the past five decades," the 19-year-old Panchen Lama praised China's rule of Tibet, Xinhua, the state-run Chinese news agency reported.
"People living in Tibet should cherish the prosperity and happy lives today," Xinhua quoted him saying, adding that he would "continue to guide Tibetan Buddhists to be adapted to the country's socialist society" and that the leadership of Communist Party of China would benefit everyone in Tibet.
The Panchen Lama's acceptance of Chinese rule stands in stark contrast to the Dalai Lama, whose opposition to Beijing has attracted widespread support around the world.
