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 statement puts to rest speculation that the Dalai Lama may be the last of Tibet's spiritual leaders, ending a line that stretches back centuries.

Speaking at prayer celebrations ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue after his death, ending