By Dan Milmo
Publication Date: 2026-04-27 10:44:00
China has blocked Meta’s $2bn (£1.5bn) takeover of an AI startup as it cracks down on US investment in domestic tech companies.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, announced in December that it had acquired Manus, a developer of autonomous AI agents.
However, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Monday it had called off the takeover.
In a statement, China’s top economic planning authority said it would “prohibit foreign investment in the acquisition of the Manus project” and “require the parties involved to withdraw the acquisition transaction.”
Bloomberg reported last week that Chinese regulators plan to block technology firms, including leading AI startups, from accepting U.S. investments without government approval.
Several private firms have reportedly been warned in recent weeks that they should reject US financing unless they receive explicit approval from Beijing. This is a political move triggered by…
