Earlier I wrote about how Manus's founders were summoned back to China for a review — and then banned from leaving. Now it's confirmed: the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has officially blocked the acquisition and demanded the rollback of a deal that had already closed.
For Meta, this is a serious blow. Manus was considered one of the key players in the AI agents space, and without it the company will have a noticeably harder time catching up with OpenAI in that race. Manus had already made headlines with a Telegram controversy — now add a regulatory wall from Beijing on top.
Why it matters
China has been systematically using regulatory tools to limit the export of strategic AI technology to Western companies. The NDRC is the body that vets major foreign transactions in the country. Demanding the unwinding of an already-closed deal is a rare and aggressive move.
The question now is who Meta targets next — and where exactly China draws the line between commercial M&A and national AI policy.
More: Beijing blocks Meta's acquisition of Chinese AI startup Manus – CNA