Parliamentary boss Qiao Shi, absent from a Communist Party School graduation, visited Henan province this week where he told local cadres to be 'bold in exploration and accelerate reforms'.
Mr Qiao, described by foreign media as President Jiang Zemin's chief rival, was the only Politburo Standing Committee member absent from the ceremony in Beijing on Thursday.
Mr Qiao told Henan officials to follow the teachings of Deng Xiaoping, the same theme Mr Jiang highlighted to cadres at the ceremony.
Mr Qiao, who heads the National People's Congress, also cited Deng's 'three-benefit' principle in encouraging the local cadres to experiment more, while Mr Jiang told ceremony cadres to hold firm the ideas of Deng.
Deng reiterated his 'three-benefit' principle in southern China in 1992, saying policies that helped to promote productivity should be encouraged.
Mr Qiao also stressed the importance of rule of law and learning from the West.
