In recent years, two online service giants have emerged in China to dominate their respective industries. Meituan-Dianping has maintained a firm hold on the online food delivery sector, while Didi Chuxing retains 90 percent of the country’s ride-hailing business, having acquired Uber’s China venture back in 2016. Now, however, the two companies have each thrown down the gauntlet, challenging the other for a stake in their main business.
As early as February 2017, Meituan-Dianping quietly unveiled its ride-hailing services in Nanjing. Shortly after, the online platform previously known for ordering food, buying tickets and making reservations opened a special access for this new business line on the Meituan-Dianping mobile application in targeted cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Fuzhou and Xiamen.
Meanwhile, Didi Chuxing has shown increased enthusiasm toward…