How far can Uber go in China?

No one can accurately predict the final outcome of Uber in the Chinese market. No matter how long Uber runs in China, the best way is to let the market test it.

As we all know, Uber has played the role of a "bad boy" all over the world since its establishment. Not only has it encountered demonstrations by taxi drivers in various places, but the continuous emergence of government bans has also made it experience the "pains of growing up."

In addition to being banned in Idaho, Alaska, and parts of Texas in the United States, Uber has also received bans from 14 countries including Thailand, India, France, and Spain. What's more outrageous is that due to incidents of drivers allegedly raping female passengers in Houston, the United States and New Delhi, India, Uber was sued by local judicial authorities, and the United Nations Women's Fund also canceled its previous cooperation plan with it to recruit 1 million female drivers.

On August 21, 2013, Uber quietly launched its Chinese website, and Shanghai became the first battlefield for Uber to enter the Chinese market. Obviously, under the general background of "whoever wins China wins the world", it is only a matter of time before Uber enters the Chinese market.

What generally surprises and even frustrates Chinese Internet observers is that, compared with their American compatriots such as eBay and Amazon that entered the Chinese market early on , the Chinese curse of "not being able to adapt to the local environment" seems to have lost its power over this "bad boy" Uber.

Will Uber really put an end to the ultimate curse of American Internet leaders going from pioneers to martyrs in the Chinese market?

There are unexpected changes in the weather!

On the eve of the May Day holiday, the Guangzhou Municipal Industry and Commerce Bureau, the Transportation Commission and other departments jointly enforced the law and sealed off Uber Guangzhou for "failure to complete industrial and commercial registration procedures" and "organizing private vehicles without business qualifications to engage in business activities." Amid public doubts, support and speculation, on May 6, Uber Chengdu was also "frequently visited" by multiple departments, and there was even news that the Chengdu company was also sealed off by the government.

As an Internet practitioner, in my opinion, in order to make Uber run more "regularly", it is necessary to introduce relevant policies and regulations on Internet private cars and ride-hailing. At present, no one can accurately predict the final outcome of Uber in the Chinese market. However, in my observation, compared with eBay, Amazon, etc., Uber has understood the Chinese philosophy of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". For example, Uber adopts "regional flexibility" and "talent localization". For another example, in the face of inquiries and even closures from government departments across China, the Uber China team did not take the radical "self-media help campaign" like other overseas Internet giants, but took the initiative to communicate repeatedly and with a good attitude, which is more "Chinese".

Of course, from the perspective of China's Internet, Uber is also an object worth observing.

If we say that 20 years ago, the Chinese Internet was still a "weak group" in the world, now the Chinese Internet is "renowned around the world and dominates Asia Pacific." Therefore, the Chinese government's obligation to "help the local Internet industry get on the horse and send it on its way" should end here. Next, it is time to let the Chinese Internet industry and global Internet giants, especially American Internet giants, fight freely. In addition to regulating "interlopers" like Uber, it is better to let them be "catfish" in the Internet field. Only in this way can Chinese Internet companies truly "expand the international market" as Premier Li Keqiang proposed in this year's government work report, and only in this way can China truly evolve from a "big Internet country" to a "strong Internet country."

Secondly, for the past 20 years, the Chinese Internet industry has been burdened with the joke of "C2C". What is "C2C"? "Copy To China". Yahoo , Google , eBay, Twitter , WhatsApp, etc. have all been "copied" successfully. What is even more criticized by the global industry is that none of the American pioneers that were imitated have succeeded in the Chinese market so far. Now, Didi and Kuaidi, as Chinese imitators, have completed their merger. If Uber eventually dies in the Chinese market, Didi and Kuaidi will inevitably dominate the market, and the "C2C" left over from history will undoubtedly be criticized again.

Competition, only full competition can bring the greatest benefits to the people. It is for this reason that the "Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Several Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening Reforms" passed by the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee specifically pointed out that "the market should play a decisive role in resource allocation". According to the latest news, Uber is planning a new round of financing, which will value Uber at $50 billion, and the $1.5 billion to $2 billion in financing will be used to further subsidize users and drivers. Taxi rides are cheaper, which is good for both drivers and passengers.

No matter how far Uber goes in China, the best way is to let the market test it.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.