Most likely they are looking for a bribe.

This why I would go to the Embassy. They will contact the foreign affairs office in that region and put pressure on the police. The foreign affairs office out ranks the local cops and they aren't going to like having some one looking over their shoulder.

Then again it all depends on what city you are in how big of hicks they are. Actually the level of professionalism among the Chengdu police has been astonishing compared to what it was ten years ago.

Good luck.