New | Didi Kuaidi joins China Merchants Bank to provide car financing for drivers

China’s top car-hailing app operator Didi Kuaidi has entered into a strategic partnership with China Merchants Bank to provide car financing to its 14 million drivers.

China Merchants has agreed to make a strategic investment in Didi but the size of investment was not disclosed, the two companies announced in Beijing on Tuesday.

The bank is joining a list of China’s big names as Didi’s investors, including the country’s sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp, internet giants Alibaba, Tencent and Beijing Automotive Group.

Liu Qing, president of Didi, said China Merchants Bank would provide automobile financing to the car-hailing app’s drivers for them to buy new cars by instalment. The loan terms and payment plans will be based on a joint review by both companies.

The two firms would continue to seek close ties in automobile credit and other financial services, Liu said.

Of the 14 million registered Didi Kuaidi drivers, six million were active and some had indicated their need to replace old cars or buy a new one, Liu said.

“From China Merchants Banks’ perspective, they love this business but they worry about risk control and steady revenue income,” she said.