Chinese Property Market Decline Eases as Beijing, Shanghai See gains...China and US Wrap up Trade Talks in Paris, Trump Visit Maybe delayed...China’s Tencent Becomes OpenClaw Sponsor

Key Takeaways

• Beijing, Shanghai home prices rise modestly in February
• National property price decline slows to 0.3% month‑on‑month
• US‑China trade talks maintain tariff stability, discuss investment mechanism
• Tencent joins OpenClaw sponsors alongside OpenAI, Baidu
• Leapmotor EV exports jump 400% thanks to Stellantis JV

Summary

Home prices in Beijing and Shanghai rose in February, signaling the first uptick in a decade and narrowing the overall decline across 70 Chinese cities to 0.3% month‑on‑month. In Paris, the United States and China concluded their sixth round of trade talks, agreeing to keep tariffs stable and explore a bilateral investment mechanism while a possible Trump visit remains uncertain. Tencent entered the open‑source AI arena as a sponsor of OpenClaw, joining backers like OpenAI and Baidu after a recent data‑scraping dispute. Leapmotor’s EV exports surged 400% in 2025 thanks to a Stellantis joint venture, and Air China announced the resumption of weekly passenger flights to Pyongyang, reviving China‑North Korea connectivity.

Pulse Analysis

The modest rebound in Beijing and Shanghai’s housing market marks a rare positive signal after months of deep price erosion across China’s property sector. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show the average decline across 70 cities narrowed to 0.3% in February, reflecting the impact of relaxed home‑buying curbs in the two megacities. While the gains are confined to a small share of the population, they may restore confidence among developers and buyers, potentially averting a broader credit crunch in the real‑estate industry.

Meanwhile, the sixth round of US‑China trade talks in Paris underscored a pragmatic shift toward stability, with both sides committing to maintain existing tariff levels and exploring a framework for bilateral investment. Although the timing of President Trump’s anticipated visit remains fluid, the dialogue reduces uncertainty for multinational firms navigating the two economies. In parallel, Tencent’s decision to sponsor the open‑source AI platform OpenClaw, alongside giants like OpenAI and Baidu, signals a strategic embrace of collaborative AI development after a brief public spat, reinforcing China’s role in the global AI ecosystem.

On the export front, Leapmotor’s electric‑vehicle shipments jumped nearly 400% in 2025, propelled by a joint venture with Stellantis that opened European distribution channels. The surge lifted the company’s European revenue by 479% and positioned it as the leading emerging‑Chinese EV exporter. Complementing this commercial momentum, Air China’s reinstatement of weekly passenger flights to Pyongyang revives people‑to‑people ties and hints at a broader easing of regional travel restrictions, illustrating how China is simultaneously expanding its economic reach and diplomatic engagement.