The US owner of Booking.com has backed Chinese ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing to the tune of $500m (£380m) as the company eyes making in-roads into Western markets.
Booking.com and other travel sites will now offer integration with Didi, presenting a way for Western travelers and tourists to book rides using the Chinese app which offers a similar service to Uber.
Didi has been expanding. It recently launched its rider services in Australia and has spread to Mexico. The Chinese giant owns stakes in Estonian Uber-rival Taxify and other apps around the world.
The $500m represents a relatively small sum for Didi, which last year secured $4bn in a funding round from investors including Japanese tech…