Three decades ago China's motor circuit racing was next to non-existent. But thanks to a joint venture between Malaysian investors and a local Chinese SOE, the Zhuhai International Circuit has helped the sport and its culture flourish in China. CGTN reporter Omar Khan takes a look at the story of one man that came to China and helped bring all of this to fruition.

STEWART TAN GENERAL MANAGER, ZHUHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT "I came to China about 30 years ago. In the beginning, we came here, and it was a totally different market and environment, for me. In Malaysia, it was a British Colony country, and the mentality was quite different with local China. But we learned. We learned a lot from the local government, and the China environment. And the growth is very very fast in China."

For Malaysian businessman Stewart Tan, the business journey that began back in 1993 is a fond memory of what now is a resounding success on the Zhuhai International Circuit. Navigating a completely different business environment, coupled with the fact that China's motor-racing industry was in a nascent stage, made that initial step a lot harder. Luckily, China's automotive industry was starting to grow.

STEWART TAN GENERAL MANAGER, ZHUHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT "But at that time, China motorsport only had Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai rally, there was no circuit racing at all. So we tried to bring this new industry to China and develop. It's quite special, as motor-sport comes from foreign countries, but I think it's related with the car industry also."

Today, the ZIC has four main business models, and is home to 55 competitive teams. The growth and change are realities that Tan believes are a credit to China's economic transformation, and the speed that came with it.

STEWART TAN GENERAL MANAGER, ZHUHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT "At that time, Zhuhai was just a fishing village. And after 30 years with the Special Economic Zone, and until today, it's a beautiful nice and relaxed city. The country learns very fast and is very creative, and this is the beauty of Chinese. Learn everything very fast. Learn how to fit in. This is my feeling of coming to China."

Holding its first international event in 1996, the ZIC has earned several accolades. It's the first international circuit in the Chinese Mainland, the first racing school, and the first circuit to host a competition. Despite the honors, there was a steep learning curve to make it all happen.

STEWART TAN GENERAL MANAGER, ZHUHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT "I think starting a business in China is different to other countries. In other countries, you must have a good product, but in China, you need to have a good product and need to have very good support from the government."

Going forward, Tan will continue his efforts to help develop the sport across China, including circuits in both Zhengzhou and Tianjin. And just like the cars that race through the ZIC course, the future for both the company and Tan appear to be headed on the right track. Omar Khan, CGTN, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.