BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The China Charity Federation (CCF) launched a new website, www.usnow.org, in collaboration of over 200 institutions and companies on Thursday.

The new site, dubbed as the China Charity Federation On-line Assistance Center", is designed to link up the needy people and donors via the Internet, so as to make charitable activities more transparent, lower the cost for donors, and make it easier for the needy to find donors, said CCF sources.

The website helps optimize the operation of all relevant procedures including applications by the needy, approval of the donations and use of the donations. The center will publish the use of donations to donors and the public on a regular base.

According to official figures, China has about 60 million people affected by natural disasters of various kinds annually, over 20 million low-income people, 75 million poverty-stricken villagers and urbanites, some 60 million handicapped people, and over 140 million people aged 60 or older.

CCF was established in 1994. In the first nine months of this year, it collected about 1 billion yuan (133 million U.S. dollars).