DiDi Chuxing’s nickname, China’s Uber, is a little unfair considering that the Beijing-based firm has surpassed 60 million daily trips—around twice the number of its U.S. rival. DiDi hit a nadir in mid-2018 after a flurry of attacks on female passengers, including two murders in three months. Since then, the company has undergone a thorough reckoning on safety—as well as the sacking of two executives—that resulted in extensive driver background checks, compulsory in-trip audio recordings and upgraded emergency alerts. It now operates in 10 foreign markets, has driverless taxis roaming the streets of Shanghai and recently expanded into mobile payments in Latin America.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time
- Inside One Indian iPhone Factory
- What Beyoncé Gave Us
- Congress Avoided a Shutdown. What Happens Next?
- What Happens to Diane Feinstein's Senate Seat
- The Enduring Charm of John Grisham
- Kerry Washington: The Story of My Abortion
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
