FILE PHOTO - Customers use computers at an internet cafe in Hefei, Anhui province March 16, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has set up a 100 billion yuan ($14.55 billion) fund to support investment in the internet sector, said official news agency Xinhua on Sunday.

The fund, backed by China’s cabinet, is designed to help turn China into a major player in internet technology, said the report.

An initial 30 billion yuan has already been raised from major banks and telecoms firms including ICBC, China Mobile and China Unicom. Up to 150 billion yuan in credit will be available to companies that have been invested by the fund, Xinhua said.

China said earlier this month it would invest 1.2 trillion yuan between 2016 and 2018 to develop information infrastructure.