Update: December 17, 2014 8:43 a.m. Baidu confirmed its investment in Uber, although terms of the deal were not announced. The move paves the way for Uber to increase its business in the Chinese market, which is expected to grow singificantly in the coming years.

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Uber will take a major step toward expansion in China with an investment from search giant Baidu, according to various reports.

Baidu will add up to $600 million to Uber's already massive stockpile of cash in return for a minority stake, according to reports from Bloomberg and China National Radio. The move gives Uber a powerful partner in China, a market that projects to be a major part of ride service company's growth.

A spokesperson for Baidu told Mashable that during a press conference on Dec. 17 in Beijing, the company will announce an investment and strategic partnership with "a prominent US-based startup," but could offer no other details.

Uber currently operates in some of China's largest cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, but has come up against some pushback from authorities. It also competes against native startups that have had backings from other large Asian tech companies.

Baidu is the most recent in a series of investments in car service startups from large Asian tech companies. Ecommerce giant Alibaba has taken stakes in China-based Kuaidi and Uber rival Lyft. Internet portal Tencent has invested in China's taxi app Didi Dache.