China reviews Meta’s purchase of AI startup Manus, FT reports

Chinese Officials Reviewing Meta’s $2 Billion Acquisition of AI Startup Manus for Possible Technology Control Violations

Jan 6 (Reuters) – Chinese officials are currently reviewing Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus for potential technology control violations, as reported by the Financial Times on Tuesday. This information comes from two sources familiar with the matter.

Reuters was unable to independently verify this report. Both Meta and Manus have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding this issue.

The Chinese commerce ministry officials have initiated an assessment to determine whether the relocation of Manus’ staff and technology to Singapore, followed by the acquisition by Meta, necessitates an export license under Chinese law. This examination is still in its early stages.

Although the review is still in its preliminary phase and may not result in a formal investigation, the potential requirement for a license could give Beijing the opportunity to influence the transaction. In extreme cases, this could involve pressuring the parties involved to abandon the deal.

Meta finalized the acquisition of Manus last month, with sources indicating that the deal valued the Singapore-based firm between $2 billion and $3 billion.

Manus gained significant attention earlier this year for introducing what they claimed to be the world’s first general AI agent. This agent is capable of making decisions and performing tasks autonomously with minimal prompting, distinguishing it from traditional AI chatbots like ChatGPT and DeepSeek.

(Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)