Because of tough competition, Uber has added some extra services to its Chinese customers, by hailing them not only a car but also a boat and even a hot air balloon.

The all-new services were announced by Kate Wang, Uber China's vice president of operations, as part of the car-hailing app's Uber+Travel project last Monday at TechCrunch China, with the aim of providing all types of transportation services customers may need.

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Customers can now use UberBoat for customers travelling by sea and UberBalloon if they wish to request a hot air balloon.

"This reminds us that Uber is a global service serving global citizens," Wang said. "It is rooted in each of the cities."

Such initiatives show Uber China is coming up with new and creative ideas to win clients, as it faces tough competition with homegrown Didi Chuxing.

"We are profitable in the US, but in China we're losing over a billion dollars a year," Travis Kalanick, Ubers's CEO, was quoted saying last February.

Other than the Uber+Travel project, Wang also introduced UberLIFE, which is a new digital magazine service to keep passengers updated regarding local happenings such as sports, arts, and other cultural events.

Based on the company's research, customers tend to linger on its app for 90 seconds after getting inside the car. The new digital magazine aims to catch customers' attention, keep users on the app longer and enhance customers' experience.

Both projects are set to be unveiled this year and are exclusively available in China.

Other services Uber plans to roll out include Deliveroo-like service UberEATS, which is a stand-alone app that caters to on-demand food delivery service.

Last month the ride-hailing food service app landed in Singapore - the first Asian country to have the service.

TagsUber, UberBoat, UberBalloon, UberEATS, taxi