(Yicai Global) Sept. 26 -- Beijing Mobike Technology Co., which operates bike-sharing giant Mobike, will expand its operations in the UK to the northeastern city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, online news outlet Huanqiu reported on Sept. 26.

The firm will put an initial 1,000 bicycles into circulation in early October and may add more if demand grows. Newcastle will become the third UK destination on the Mobike map behind Manchester and London and become the 12th city outside China.

Mobike aims to consolidate operations in the UK through the expansion and increasingly establish itself as an indispensable part of the country's public urban transportation system.

The bike sharer has already agreed a cooperation framework with industry body the British Bike Association, and plans to grow operations in the country so that two million people there have access to Mobikes by 2020.

The firm has worked closely with the local government in Newcastle as well as Northumbria University, one of two in the city, to set-up areas for bike sharing.

Mobike plans to enter more UK cities in the coming months and will look to improve its services in the country.

The company has already expanded operations to seven foreign countries: the US, UK, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. It currently operates more than seven million intelligent bikes around the world to over 150 million users. It plans to expand its business to 200 cities around the world by the end of the year, up from 180 at present.