China has officially blocked Meta's acquisition of the AI firm Manus, highlighting the challenges faced by US and Chinese tech companies in securing deals as tensions rise between the two nations. The Chinese government requested Meta to unwind the $2 billion acquisition on April 27, citing national security concerns and banning foreign investment in Manus. The deal had been under scrutiny since January 2026, with regulators preventing the two cofounders from leaving China during the investigation. Manus, which launched in March 2025, developed an AI agent designed to assist users with various tasks, utilizing multiple AI agents for task execution and verification.
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China Blocks Meta's $2 Billion Acquisition of AI Company Manus Amid Rising US-China Rivalry
Ars Technica· Jeremy Hsu· Tuesday, April 28, 2026
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