China’s Didi Chuxing continues its international push with trial service in Australia

Didi Chuxing, the ride-hailing company that defeated Uber Technologies in mainland China, is eyeing a new overseas market that would see it go head-to-head with its former domestic rival.

The Beijing-based company has started a trial operation in the Australian city of Geelong and is preparing to roll out services to other parts of the country later this year, according to a Didi spokesperson.

The expansion comes on the heels of the ride-hailing giant’s move into Taiwan, Japan and Mexico. To build its global network, Didi has also been on an acquisition spree over the past few years, investing in Grab and Ola in Asia, Lyft in the US, 99 in Brazil, Taxify in Europe and Careem in Dubai, which together serve a combined 80 per cent of the world’s population, according to the company.

The company’s long term goal is to become the biggest transport platform globally within 10 years, serving more than 2 billion customers, Didi’s chief executive Cheng Wei said at a briefing in Beijing last month.

“We hope the revolutionary ride-sharing services in China can serve as a strong reference point across the world,” Cheng said at the event. “Ride-sharing is an opportunity for China to change lanes and overtake other countries.”