The Chinese Motorcycle Market

The demise of China Qingqi Group - Once the biggest bike manufacturer in China - is being seen as an indicator that the Chinese government is moving to consolidate the country's huge but chaotic motorcycle industry into world domination mode.

A controlling stake in Jinan Qingqi, its production operation, has been quietly transferred to a state-owned company called China South Industries, creating the second largest bike manufacturer in the world after Honda.

China South also controls Jialing and Jianshe, Jianshe produces about half a million and Jinan Qingqi will add a further million.

Between them, they also have various joint venture operations and tech tie-ups with Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Peugot. Jinan Qingqi's parent, which had been scratchy for years with directors, locked up for cooking the books and pocketing huge amounts of money, is famous for recording the biggest ever-corporate loss by any Chinese company.

Since the transfer, its former chairman has been charged with money laundering and Qingqi Group is now expected to go into liquidation.