Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has achieved one-third of its pledged goal of creating 100 million jobs in 20 years, as the e-commerce giant sees 2017 as a crucial year to "redefine the real economy".

The internet conglomerate, incorporating both its e-tail platforms and payment arm Ant Financial Services Group, paid 23.8 billion yuan ($3.42 billion) of tax in 2016 and has created a cumulative total of more than 30 million jobs since 2003, the Hangzhou-based firm said on Tuesday.

The figures echoed what company founder Jack Ma advocated as "blurring the lines" between real and virtual companies.