Beijing blocks Meta’s $2 billion takeover of AI startup Manus

China’s top economic planner has moved to block Meta’s roughly $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus, ordering the parties to withdraw the transaction, according to reports. Meta said the deal complied with applicable law and said it expects a resolution, but an unwind could prove complicated after Manus’ team was integrated into Meta’s operations. Manus, founded in China and now based in Singapore, touts “autonomous” AI agents that can plan and execute tasks with limited prompts—technology analysts called a natural fit for Meta’s AI push. The decision comes amid tightening Chinese oversight of tech exports and foreign investments and against the backdrop of escalating U.S.-China tensions over advanced technologies. Meta has been ramping up AI spending while pursuing cost cuts, including thousands of job reductions, as competition in AI intensifies.

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