Uber on Tuesday announced a partnership with a major Chinese automaker as the controversial ride-sharing service revved up its efforts in the country. Uber and Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) will work together in areas including investment, sales, marketing and promoting new energy vehicles such as hybrid or electric cars, the San Francisco-based company said in a release. Terms of the strategic partnership included Uber China promoting GAC automobiles and the group's used-car trading platform to ride-sharing service drivers and partners.

Uber launched in China in February of last year and is active in 21 cities in that country, with plans to be in 100 cities within a year. The firm established a Chinese business entity, Uber China, in a Shanghai Free Trade Zone late this year. The head of Uber in October said the ride-sharing firm has spent $1 billion to gain traction in China. Uber's share of the Chinese market had climbed from 1 percent at the start of the year to about 30 percent.