Airbnb is reported to be in discussions to buy rival China-based home-sharing site Xiaozhu.com.
Xiaozhu was established in 2011 with a similar online home-rental model to Airbnb.
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Based in Beijing, it has listings in cities across China, and its users mainly travel within the country.
Both Xiaozhu and Airbnb trail well behind market leader Tujia.com, a Beijing-based home-rental company with a valuation that tops $1 billion and invests including Chinese online-travel firm Ctrip – which has just taken over Skyscanner.
A deal between Airbnb and Xiaozhu would give the San Francisco firm a rapid boost in its effort to expand in the world’s most populous country, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Further details about the discussions – including the price Airbnb would pay – has not been disclosed.