Beijing’s blunt message to its tech sector
China has retrospectively banned Meta's US$2 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence app Manus, warning Chinese entrepreneurs to keep AI innovations at home. The deal was seen as 'conspiratorial' by Chinese officials after the Manus team developed the AI agent in China but moved to Singapore.
China has banned Meta's US$2 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence app Manus, sending a clear message to Chinese entrepreneurs and early-stage investors to keep AI technology at home. The Manus team developed the AI agent in China before moving to Singapore in mid-2025 after receiving a major investment from US venture capital firm Benchmark. The sale to Meta in December was deemed 'conspiratorial' by Chinese officials. Beijing has now ordered the deal to be unwound. The move is a warning to Chinese tech companies to retain their AI innovations domestically.
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