Uber under investigation in China

A raid in Guangzhou has been followed by police visits to Uber offices in Chengdu

Uber has faced court decisions across the world, with some finding in its favour and some leading to bans (Reuters)

Chinese police visited Uber’s offices in Chengdu last night as part of an investigation into whether the cab firm is running an 'unlicensed' operation.

It comes less than a week after authorities raided the company’s Guangzhou offices as part of the probe, in a country that recently banned drivers of private cars from offering taxi services through apps. Uber has faced court decisions across the world, with some finding in its favour and some leading to bans.

Uber is valued at $40 billion for is mobile phone app, which allows users to summon a taxi in more than 250 cities around the world. It has a presence in 10 Chinese cities but has faced legal challenges.

China banned drivers of private cars from offering services through the Uber app in January. Uber can add it to its struggling in other markets. In India, Uber has already been banned in Hyderabad, which is seen as the technological capital of the country, the whole of the southern state of Karnataka, and New Delhi.

Uber faces added competition in China from local apps backed by big investors. It has a market share in China of just 1 per cent.