According to the source, the move came after Baidu forged a partnership with Uber in December 2014 in the hope that Uber would help promote and expand its Baidu Wallet.
Uber is looking to boost its market share in China through its partnership with Baidu, in a country that already has two dominant mobile-app-based taxi services, Didi Dache and Kuaidi Dache, which are more familiar to the Chinese public. Baidus services currently are limited mainly to nine major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou, the source adds.
Since Baidu Wallet is embedded in Baidu Maps, which has more than a 70% penetration rate among mobile phone users, the alliance between the two companies may help Uber secure a larger market share. Baidu meanwhile is hoping that its mobile wallet will gain traction in China through its partnership with Uber, the source notes.
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