At just 13 years old Sun Shengbo is causing a scene on the Junior Moto GP circuit.

Known as 'Eddie', last year he became the first Chinese rider to win a world championship title in road motorcycle racing, claiming the 190cc FIM MotoMini World Final.

And this year he's topped the podium in seven of his first eight races of the Spanish Superbike Championship Talent category, well on his way to another unprecedented title.

MotoGP has over 600 million followers worldwide, and a talented young rider like Sun Shengbo going pro and winning races could help ignite massive interest in the Chinese market.

"My dream is to become a professional rider and to get the maximum of myself every single race," he says. He even sounds like a pro already, but this is much bigger than just one young rider.

Sun races for the CFMOTO Aspar Racing Team, a collaboration between Chinese powersports manufacturing giant CFMOTO and Spanish Moto GP racing team Aspar.

China is the world's largest motorcycle maker, pumping out more than 22 million bikes a year. CFMOTO alone is responsible for some 600,000 vehicles and 800,000 engines, and now it has its sights set on matching production power with racing prowess.

And for that it's partnered with Spain’s iconic Aspar racing team, an established name with a strong Moto GP legacy – Aspar is named after Jorge 'Aspar' Martinez, one of the most successful riders in Grand Prix history.

It's a partnership that brings history and new technology together – aiming to match tech with talent in new academies for budding stars like Sun.

'We're like a family'

Facundo Garcia de la Cuadra is the team's General Manager, bringing over 40 years of experience to the enterprise.

"I've never seen, to be honest, a factory like CFMOTO," he says. "I've been so many times in Ducati, Honda, Yamaha, Aprilia, but the improvements year-on-year at CFMOTO are very impressive.

"China, by CFMOTO, is going to show the world their huge potential. We are not only interested in racing, but also in developing new riders."

After three years working together, CFMOTO-Aspar have now extended their partnership to 2031, and have new talent leagues and pipelines in the works that will bring opportunities to young riders from China and beyond.

"It's a very close relationship. We're like a family," CFMOTO Director of Racing Development Su Zhen tells CGTN at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Cheste, Valencia.

"In 1950s, the greatest riders all came from the Britain," continues Su. "They were supported by Triumph, the UK brand. Then came the Japanese ones and the Italian ones, like Ducati. 

"And now with the improvement of Chinese manufacturers, I think it makes sense now we support our Chinese riders step by step to go to the world-wide stage."

Turning talents into superstars

No Chinese rider has ever won a premier-class MotoGP race, but new partnerships are aiming to turn young talents into global superstars. However, Su acknowledges that one of the biggest challenges might be convincing Chinese parents.

"Right now, the main priority for parents in China is school," he says. "They believe studying mathematics and science will be the only path to be successful, but now they see the great potential for motor sports in China with our talent project."

Eddie Sun's family moved to Portugal when he was a toddler, and now he’s been living in Spain for four years. He smiles when CGTN asks how his Mum is when she watches him race.

"She's a bit nervous," he says. "Usually she watches at home on a live stream."

In the near future, she might not be the only Chinese parent tuning in to watch their sons and daughters on MOTO GP.