Topic: Panchen Lama

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded China on Monday to "immediately" reveal where it is holding Panchen Lama, a Tibetan Buddhist leader who was last seen 25 years ago at the age of six.

China's officially appointed head of Tibetan Buddhism said he supported the unity of the People's Republic, and that he would align Tibet with the standards of the Chinese Communist Party.

The 11th Panchen Lama, Beijing's chosen spiritual leader of Tibet's Buddhists, paid his respects to Chinese revolutionaries during a trip to northeast Heilongjiang Province.

The Panchen Lama, Tibet's second highest ranking Tibetan monk and chosen by Beijing, has been elevated to China's top advisory body, state media report.

Gyaincain Norbu, whom China recognizes as Tibet's 11th Panchen Lama, says his country can only achieve a bright future under Chinese rule.

Tibet's 11th Panchen Lama, anointed by China's regime, won't be taking his place as deputy in the country's parliament this year because of his age.

The second most revered Tibetan Buddhist lama, the Panchen Lama, turned 18 on Wednesday but his whereabouts for the past 13 years is unknown.

The boy picked by Chinese authorities as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama visited Tibet's most sacred temple Sunday, the BBC reported.

China says the Tibetan boy internationally viewed as the second highest leader of Tibetan Buddhism is alive and well, the Times of London reported Friday.

Chinese authorities are pressuring Tibetan monks to accept their choice of Panchen Lama, the second highest religious figure in Tibetan Buddhism.