Chinese Government Launches Ride-Hailing Transport Platform, Qiang Guo Jiao Tong

JAKARTA - China will soon launch a platform for ride-hailing transportation that includes services, cargo trucks, land transportation, rail, ferry and flight services. According to Chinese state media Beijing Daily on Wednesday January 18 the service is officially supported by the state.

According to the newspaper, the Chinese government-initiated online platform has completed internal testing. The platform is expected to integrate more than 90% of the total transportation market capacity, the paper said.

China's ride-hailing market has been dominated by Didi Global in defiance of China's Cyber ​​Administration regulator in 2021. The 18-month ban on ride-hailers was finally lifted on Monday 16 January after Didi Global took effective steps to ensure platform safety and data security.

The report did not provide details on why the government is introducing the platform, whether customers will be obligated to use it or whether it will compete with existing private platforms.

The report alludes to the irregular expansion of ride-hailing apps and data security concerns.

The Beijing Daily also reported that the state-backed platform, called "Qiang Guo Jiao Tong" - or "Powerful Nation's Transport" - will offer people convenient services while keeping data secure and protecting personal privacy.

Meanwhile, Reuters also reported that the Chinese government also said that other social media applications such as Wechat, Alipay and Douyin would also be integrated into the platform.