BEIJING — Online services are now playing a bigger role in reducing poverty in China, a government official said on July 5.

“We have completed the design of online services for poverty alleviation in conjunction with another 15 government agencies,” said Qu Tianjun, an official with the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

As Internet Plus becomes a national strategy, the government has targeted poverty alleviation as an important impetus for the development of the impoverished areas.

The office has established an account management system to track poverty reduction programs carried out by 26,500 private companies in 21,000 villages, Qu said.

It also has provided an network platform, using new technologies such as big data, to promote online philanthropy. So far, the platform has 100,000 registered donors connected to 40,000 needy families, the official said.

China plans to expand online services to rural areas, according to a plan released by the central government in October last year. The plan features how to increase the sale of agricultural products, provide high quality education services, and proposes that an information service system for the poor to be established by 2020.