BEIJING - China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS)on Monday urged the use of microblogs as a new platform and tool for police work.

Huang Ming, vice minister of public security, said that police should use microblogs as a channel for interacting with the public, releasing correct and authorized information to dispel misunderstandings, and serving the people.

Huang's remark was made during a two-day nationwide seminar convened by the MPS, with the focus on how to use new social networking sites, such as microblogs, to improve police work.

Social networking sites, such as microblogs and Facebook-like Renren and Kaixin, have become major platforms for social associations and information-sharing in China.

Huang urged police at all levels to expand the openness of police work,maintain an inclusive and equal attitude toward critics, and respond to people's concerns with objectivity and justice.

China's public security organs have so far opened more than 4,000 official microblogs at weibo.com, a leading microblog platform in China,and about 5,000 police officers nationwide have registered personal microblogs with their real identities verified, the MPS said.

These official and personal microblogs have attracted tens of millions of followers since February last year when police from the cities of Zhaoqing and Foshan in south China's Guangdong Province took the lead and opened official microblogs.