The Communist Party's security tsar ordered law enforcement officials to always toe Beijing's political line - comments that come as the central government continues to push for unity amid rumours of a power struggle at the top.
Zhou Yongkang, head of the Central Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, told more than 450 law and order officials at a training camp in Beijing last week that 'stressing politics is always the overriding priority', according to a report by People's Daily.
The event on March 26 was the first of a string of training programmes for more than 3,300 such officials from across the nation.
Zhou told the officials to keep a 'high degree of consistency' with the central party leadership at all times, the report said.
Zhou's comments follow his open support for the achievements of former Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai during the National People's Congress session last month - just days before Bo was removed from the key post.
Zhou, who is also a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, attended a Chongqing delegation discussion session on March 8, speaking highly of the municipality's achievements in recent years.