China has announced the enthronement in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, of a lama who plays an important role in Tibetan Buddhism.

State media said a two-year-old boy had been identified by monks as the reincarnation of the Reting Lama.

The announcement comes soon after the sudden departure to India of Tibetan Buddhism's third highest lama the Karmapa in what has been seen as a major blow to China's policy in Tibet.

The BBC Beijing correspondent says the newly-ordained lama could become an important part of China's campaign to assert its control over the Himalayan region, although Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has not given approval for his selection.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service