The Dalai Lama has announced that he will have a successor after his death, continuing a centuries-old tradition that has become a flashpoint in the struggle with China’s Communist Party over Tibet’s future.

The 14th Dalai Lama has celebrated his 90th birthday and marked the occasion with a long-awaited announcement about the future of the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual tradition. On Wednesday, His Holiness announced via video message that the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue after his death.

As the Dalai Lama turns 90, he declares his successor will not be born in China—defying Beijing’s succession claims. China, which once called Tibetan Buddhism “poison,” insists it will approve any reincarnation.