Wang Kai, a native of Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, said he has no time to cook, but he likes Sichuan food.

"I'm shy, and I want a mate who is active and supports my work," he said.

Wang Tianbing, who is from Harbin in Heilongjiang province, said he enjoys watching films and cartoons and does not like girls older than he is.

Zhou Fan, from Leshan, Sichuan, likes swimming and football and is good at boxing. He says he is bashful when he meets a girl he likes.

Zhang, an avid photographer, says he would take loads of pictures of his girlfriend.

"We didn't expect all the responses we got," said Shi Yi, a senior officer in the bureau and the mastermind of the plan.

The bureau had intended to invite fans to afternoon tea to meet the officers.

"But there are so many fans, we had to cancel it and let the officers meet admirers on their own," he said.

Shi's initiative, a rare public relations coup for Chinese police, has drawn positive responses from most Internet surfers. One netizen asked: "When will something like this be done in Chongqing?"

But some people say the police should stick to the serious stuff.

Shi said he wants to help his colleagues find a mate, because none of them come from Chengdu.

Because their working hours are not fixed and they have little spare time, they have few opportunities to meet girls.

"The idea is to help them build a home so that they will have a sense of belonging," he said.

Liu Shen, a professor in the School of Law at China University of Political Science and Law, endorses that view, saying that the critical netizens should keep that in mind. "They shouldn't criticize everything on the Internet," she said.

After work, Wang Ruobing comes home to find his weibo account is filled with more than 1,000 letters and comments every day.

"I share similar views with three female fans and would like to meet one of them," he said.

He and the other four officers hope they will not be alone next Valentine's Day.