It´s a Zongshen announce at their spanish Facebook site dated January 3rd 2018: said something like "Meet Pablo Pascual, who will lead the Team Zongshen Cyclone Team at Dakar race next year!"
From the Dakar 2018 profile (Google translated):
"The Dakar never ceases to amaze me. When I thought that my career as a pilot was coming to an end - because with my age, 45 years old, it is getting harder and harder to compete with new riders and with superior mechanical means - I got a proposal that fills me with pride. Again China put its eyes on me and the company Zongshen Cyclone, (the fifth largest producer of motorcycles in the country), offered me a contract to dispute with the brand the 2019 Dakar Rally and at the same time lead a project to introduce pilots from that country in the competition, contributing my experience."
https://www.dakar.com/en/competitor/62