BEIJING — China’s Ministry of Public Security has issued a regulation to safeguard the authority of the police while enforcing the law.

The regulation is meant to ensure that public security officers perform their duties according to the law, and to safeguard the authority of the law and the police, said a statement from the ministry after a press conference on Dec 29 in Beijing.

The ministry said in the past few years, incidents happened occasionally when the police were enforcing the law.

From time to time, law enforcement has been impeded, people violently resist law enforcement, and rumors and slander have been spread about on-duty police officers, said the ministry.

The ministry condemned these acts as they have seriously damaged not only the personal safety and reputation of police officers but also the authority of the law and its enforcement.

According to the regulation, when police officers perform their duties according to the law, they are protected by the law and should not be hurt or obstructed.

The safety of police officers and their close relatives shall not be threatened or infringed, and their dignity shall not be insulted or derogated as long as they perform their duties according to the law, said the regulation.