BEIJING, June 26 -- When it comes to relationships, Gong Haiyan leads by example.

    After finding her future husband online, the 30-year-old set up her own Internet dating service.

    And as more and more Chinese turn to technology to find the loves of their lives, the market is expanding at a rapid rate.

    Its growth in China was reflected earlier this month, when the mainland held what was believed to be its first Internet dating conference at the Kempinski Hotel in Beijing.

    Gong, who attended the event, told delegates representing the online dating industry that Chinese people in particular find the Internet useful when looking for potential partners. "Many Asian people, especially Chinese, are reserved and shy by nature," she said. "It is awkward for us to openly express our adoration to a stranger.

    "Even though one meets strangers at parties and get-togethers, most relationships are limited to business or as casual friends.

    "Online dating services can meet the demand since registered users of the Web share the same purpose of finding a partner, so the success rate of finding a match is greatly enhanced."

    The event, organized by Ticonderoga Ventures in the United States, brought together the leading lights of the fledgling industry in China.

    Event organizer Marc Lesnick held the first iDate Conference in Miami in 2003. Conferences in Europe followed shortly afterwards, before the event arrived in Asia for the first time last year in Hong Kong.

    "About 35 people attended it, while slightly more than that came to Beijing," Lesnick said. "While it was quite a small event, it was very intense. What happened there, and what we found in Beijing, is very interesting.

    "If you invite the owners of online dating services in America to a conference, about 80 per cent of their presentations would be identical. They all know the market there, and it is maturing.

    "But when you get the five leading executives in China and put them on a stage, it's completely different. You get five very different views. When you have a market that is this young, you can make statements, and no one can discredit you. They can't prove you right or wrong."

    A report released earlier this year by Internet and research consulting firm iResearch valued the online dating market at 37 million yuan (US$4.5 million) for 2004 and 91 million yuan (US$11.2 million) for 2005, and predicts it will grow to 653 million yuan (US$80.5 million) in 2008.

    In comparison, the US market was US$520 million last year, and the European market was US$110 million, both expanding at double-digit rates. And Lesnick said with the markets in the United States and Europe beginning to mature, many overseas companies are starting to pay attention to the burgeoning Chinese market.