Didi Chuxing is launching a bilingual version of its car-hailing app and accepting international credit cards, enabling foreigners — left fuming at the withdrawal of these features — to use the Uber-type service in China again.
The company called the move to internationalise the service “a crucial link in Didi’s broader global strategy”. It cited statistics showing more than 28m tourists visited China last year. It comes just weeks after investors agreed to stump up $5bn-$6bn aimed at enabling Didi to expand beyond China. The investment values the company at $50bn, including the new funds raised, making Didi the world’s second-most valuable private tech start-up, after Uber.
Didi abruptly pulled its English language app in China and with it the ability to pay with international credit cards, shortly after it acquired Uber’s domestic business in August last year.