Beijing has blocked Meta’s acquisition of the Chinese developer Manus
27 April 17:47
Chinese regulators have blocked the $2 billion acquisition of the Chinese startup Manus by the American company Meta. After reviewing the deal, Chinese authorities stated that it could violate investment regulations and ordered the parties to abandon the transaction.
This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
Earlier, Beijing had explicitly called this deal a threat. Officials there viewed it as an attempt to “undermine the country’s technological base.”
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In recent years, China has been tightening its control over technology companies, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. The transfer of promising developments to American corporations is viewed as a risk.
The publication notes that the two co-founders of Manus were barred from leaving the country back in March while the deal was under review.
One of the Financial Times’ sources called Beijing’s actions demonstrative.
“This move is quite harsh and is intended to stop further deals,” he said.
“In reality, it’s difficult to terminate a signed agreement, so this is more of a verbal warning regarding similar deals and a way to create leverage ahead of the Xi-Trump summit.”
What this means for Meta
The situation is complicated for Meta. The company has already integrated Manus’s technologies into its products, specifically into the Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp ecosystem.
Now there are several possible scenarios: the company will have to spin off Manus into a separate entity or sell it to investors or a new buyer.
Manus is one of the new players in the field of artificial intelligence.
The company claims it is developing technologies that can “expand human capabilities.” It entered the market in 2025—almost immediately after the emergence of DeepSeek, which raised concerns in the U.S. due to the rapid development of Chinese AI.
Although Manus was founded in China, it moved its headquarters to Singapore after attracting American investment.
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