China vetoes Meta’s $2B Manus deal after months-long probe

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China has officially blocked Meta's $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an agentic AI startup founded by Chinese engineers. Despite the company relocating its headquarters to Singapore, the Chinese regulator has ordered the parties to completely unwind the deal without providing specific reasons. The situation is complicated by the fact that Manus employees have already integrated into Meta's Singapore offices, and the startup's founders are reportedly facing exit bans in mainland China. Meta maintains that the transaction complied with all applicable laws and is seeking an appropriate resolution.

(Source：TechCrunch)