China has officially blocked Meta Platforms' acquisition of Chinese-founded AI startup Manus, ordering the US tech giant to forgo the reported $2 billion (approximately £1.5 billion) transaction in a dramatic escalation of the global battle for AI dominance.
The move marks one of Beijing's strongest interventions yet against foreign control of a strategic technology company. Beijing's intervention happened despite Manus' relocation to Singapore to bypass China's restrictions, and Manus staff have already moved into Meta's Singapore offices.
