The Tibetan Buddhist institution led by the Dalai Lama will live on after he dies, with the spiritual leader putting an end to speculation that he would be the last person to hold the role.

The exiled religious figurehead, who is 89 and has spent almost 70 years living in exile in India, said that no one outside his organization has authority "to interfere in this matter" amid growing worry about Chinese government intervention in the selection process.