Baidu, China's largest search engine operator, is taking its maps system worldwide for the first time. The new service will work similarly to Google Maps featuring areas of food, drink and shopping. It currently covers 18 countries in Asia including Japan and India, but this move will broaden Baidu Maps to 150 countries around the world. To cover this area, the company will work with leading mapping companies and satellite service companies. Baidu has also said that it hopes to work with governments around the world to develop tourism prospects. Baidu currently has over 300 million users of its maps service, something it hopes to increase as it expands abroad.Â
