BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- China will expand legal aid services in rural areas to give every village with at least one legal assistant by the end of 2018, said Justice Minister Zhang Jun Wednesday.

Working groups on Wechat should be established to improve communication between legal assistants and residents, Zhang said.

The assistants should prioritize household disputes and offer advice online.

In some areas, nearly 70 percent of Chinese rural residents are online via smartphones.