By Pang Qi

A branch of the public security bureau in Dalian, Liaoning Province, has been put on the light spot by Chinese netizens as it became a follower of a Japanese adult video (AV) actress on its micro blog, and the actress is the only micro blog user followed by the bureau, the New Express reported Tuesday.

The occasion was made known by a post on the internet, stating that the bureau followed just one person on its verified micro-blog account. The post, including an image, revealed that the person followed by Xigang Bureau was Sora Aoi, a Japenese AV actress who is well known in China and Japan.

On being made aware of the swing it caused, Xigang Bureau immediately removed Sora Aoi from its following list, and updated the list with as many as 119 micro blog users, mainly composed of sites of other public security authorities on Tuesday morning, according to the New Express.

An official surnamed Zhang from Xigang Bureau told Rednet.cn Monday afternoon that the account of the bureau's official micro-blog had been stolen and used by others. Thus they would try complaining to Sina.com, the blog's host."
 
Nearly all comments left on the bureau's website focused on the "Sora Aoi event"; and some of them were being removed by the account holder on the morning of January 18. The reporter from the Global Times noticed that although the Xigang Bureau's site has obtained over 5,000 fans since yesterday, the earliest comment occurs not earlier than 10:48 of Tuesday morning, and all posts before it had disappeared.

Netizens have responded differently to the event. A user with the pseudonym
"Yueluoyexingren" supported the bureau on his comment. He said online that he will trust the police regardless of what other people say, and appealed to netizens not to forget the contributions it (bureau) has made to the society.

Netizen Laoyan commented on the site that it is weird that its (bureau) micro-blog account has been stolen but the actress was removed from its list soon after people concerned it. He said that it is unnecessary to make up the "lie", as it is not convincible and could only reduce the bureau's credibility.

Fang Xingdong, founder of Blog China and Internet laboratory, echoed Laoyan, and he adds that it is improper for the bureau to follow an AV actress on its official site even though it is just a micro blog, as it stands for a public image of the public security system.

"As a common person, one can follow anyone you like, but when as a public image, all should pay more attention to their behaviors," Fang told the Global Times.

Regarding the "stolen account" excuse, Fang said that there is little possibility for a verified micro blog account at Sina.com to be stolen. But he appeals that netizens should be more tolerant because the micro-blog is a new phenomenon and public authorities should be given time to adapt to it.

An officer of the Xigang Bureau told the Global Times that the "account stolen event" is under investigation, and the public will be informed when the result comes out.