Baidu Inc, the operator of China's biggest Internet search-engine, plans to set up a research center in Singapore to accelerate development of Web services in Southeast Asia. The facility, a venture between Baidu and Singapore's Agency for Science and Technology Research, is an "important step in Baidu's commitment to enhance its products in Southeast Asia," the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Baidu started services in Arabic and Thai last year as the Beijing-based company stepped up efforts to expand overseas.