China today objected to the US’ plan to take up the issue of Dalai Lama’s successor to the United Nations, accusing Washington of misusing the world body to interfere in its internal affairs.

China has been asserting that its assent to the Dalai Lama’s successor is a must as the Tibetan spiritual leader turned 84 in July this year.

Sam Brownback, the US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom who recently met the Dalai Lama at Dharamsala, said US wanted the UN to take up the Dalai Lama’s succession issue. While China, with its veto power in the UN Security Council, would try to block any action, Brownback said the other countries could at least raise their voices at the United Nations.

In recent months, the Trump administration has stepped up the pressure on China to relax controls over Tibet.

Earlier in May, China had rejected the US envoy to Beijing Terry Branstad’s call to hold unconditional dialogue with the Dalai Lama but was granted rare permission to visit Tibet after the US raised objections to the restrictions to its diplomats and journalists. Branstad was the first envoy to visit Tibet since 2015.