Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing expands in Latin America amid renewed competition in home market

Didi Chuxing, China’s largest ride-hailing platform, is entering two more Latin American countries as it eyes overseas expansion amid stiffer competition at home.

The Beijing-based start-up announced the launch of ride-hailing services in Chile and Colombia on Thursday. The move follows its foray in to Brazil, Mexico, Australia and Japan over the past year or so.

Didi began services in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, and Chile’s second largest metropolitan region of Valparaiso earlier this week, it said in a statement. Job posts showed that local recruitment for drivers and operational staff began earlier this year.

“We will work hard to build partnerships with drivers, passengers, policymakers and business partners to provide fully localised mobility services that offer safe, efficient and affordable rides to local consumers, while providing attractive and flexible income opportunities for private-car and taxi drivers,” Mi Yang, head of Didi’s operations for Central and South America, said in the statement.

With over 10 billion trips per year across Asia, Latin America and Australia, Didi claims to be the world’s largest ride-hailing platform, counting tech giants Apple, Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings among its biggest shareholders.