Chinese motorcycle brands gain traction on racetrack as European interest revs ups

Chinese motorcycle brands are gaining visibility both on the racetrack and among French enthusiasts, as strong results in international competition rev up consumer interest in one of Europe's major motorcycle markets.

Chinese manufacturer ZXMOTO has already been turning heads for its on-track performances in this year's Supersport World Championship (WorldSSP), the top support category of the World Superbike Championship.

All eyes were on ZXMOTO's star rider Valentin Debise as he returned home to race at the Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit for the French round of the series, which concluded Sunday.

The Chongqing-based brand has powered Debise and his team-mate Federico Caricasul to strong results this season as part of the Evan Bros Racing team, with Debise claiming another precious podium position with a third-place finish in the second race held on Sunday.

The weekend's results leave Debise still very much in the hunt for the rider's championship, where he sits in second place in the standings with three rounds remaining.

The weekend had started perfectly for the team as home rider Debise sped his way to a first career WorldSSP pole ahead of teammate Caricasulo, with the duo securing an historic one-two in Friday's Superpole, underlining the outright pace of the ZXMOTO machines.

After enjoying another champagne moment in the celebrations following Sunday's final race, Debise said he was delighted to receive another rapturous reception.

"Once again, a great many Chinese fans came here, so it's truly a pleasure - just like before - to see their enthusiasm, to see them coming to watch our races and support us. It gives us a lot of strength, and I can only invite them to keep coming and share these joyful moments with us," he said.

In addition to ZXMOTO, other Chinese brands such as QJMOTOR and KOVEMOTO have also participated in various WorldSBK support classes this season, and event organizers believe the involvement of Chinese brands is helping to revitalize motorcycle racing.

"We are really excited about [the future]. I think worldwide it’s changing, the industry. Chinese brands (over) time are being more present in motorsport," said Gregorio Lavilla, executive director of WorldSBK.

European industry insiders agree that the Chinese motorcycle industry is rapidly evolving and anticipate a greater role for Chinese brands in future racing events.

"It’s growing a lot, as you see here in Superbike. So the technique and the things you learn in the last decades make the difference. And I feel like, in the future, (China) will really be part of the motorsport activities in general," said Guido Acerbis, CEO of Italian motorcycle brand Acerbis.

Chinese motorcycle brands gain traction on racetrack as European interest revs ups

Journalists must exercise caution when using artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure it strengthens rather than undermines the core values of their profession, a senior Malaysian media executive said Saturday at the Asia‑Pacific Media Forum in south China's Shenzhen.

Datin Paduka Nur‑ul Afida Kamaludin, chief executive officer of the Malaysian National News Agency Bernama, stressed that accuracy, balance, fairness,transparency and human accountability must remain at the heart of journalism.

The forum brought together more than 400 representatives from media, think tanks and government sectors across 42 countries and regions, as well as United Nations agencies and other international organizations.

While AI offers journalists an efficient tool, it also carries the risk of generating misinformation and deepfakes on an unprecedented scale, Nur‑ul Afida Kamaludin told the forum.

She later highlighted the same point in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), stressing the need for caution in adopting the technology.

"AI is bringing very rapid transformation to the media world, and especially among us, the journalists, but at the same time, despite using it as a tool to ease the process of our daily work, I believe that the journalists should also be extra careful using AI in their work," she said.

Looking ahead to the 53rd anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia next year, Nur-ul Afida called on the media to play a greater role in strengthening people-to-people ties.

"From a media perspective, I believe we need to focus more on the people-to-people relations. We have to produce more stories on the ordinary people, because that is the human interest stories that will attract our readers, our audiences. Let's look forward for a better relationship among the people and between the government, as well as companies between China and Malaysia," she said.

Malaysian National News Agency CEO calls for responsible AI use