I understand this; but, really?

I read this, this morning.

The Dalai Lama is getting old and a fifteenth needs to be chosen. The Chinese government asserts the right to approve the choice, alternatively, to chose the replacement.

I didn’t know that it approved the current Dalai Lama. I didn’t know there were lesser lamas, one of which is held by the Chinese government.

It’s a matter of politics for the Chinese government, a way to control Tibet, and a matter of faith for Tibetans and Buddhists.

But at the heart of it, a secular government confirming or selecting a religious leader? That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, even as a political matter. Does China really think an “Avignon” Dalai Lama will win the hearts and minds of Tibetans?