China orders reversal of Meta’s $2 billion Manus deal
China has blocked Meta Platforms Inc.’s acquisition of Singapore-based AI-agent startup Manus, ordering the parties to unwind the deal after a foreign investment review. The deal, which Meta completed in late December and which Caixin learned was valued at around $2 billion, first drew official regulatory attention earlier this year. On Jan. 8, China’s commerce ministry spokesperson He Yadong said the ministry and other government departments would evaluate the acquisition’s compliance with laws regarding export controls, technology transfers and outbound investment. The Office of the Security Review Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment, under the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Monday that it had issued a “prohibition decision after conducting a review in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.” The move represents a typical case of extraterritorial jurisdiction, as both parties to the transaction are overseas entities, said Jason Jia, a senior counsel at Zhong Lun Law Firm. The decision serves more as a deterrent, signaling to the market that similar transactions are unlikely to receive approval going forward, he told Caixin.
China approves first AI-generated movie for theatrical release
Bona Film Group Co. Ltd. has received regulatory approval to release an artificial-intelligence-generated animated feature in Chinese cinemas, marking the country’s first theatrical debut for an AI-made movie. The National Film Administration granted a public-screening license to the 90-minute sci-fi film Sanxingdui: Future Memories, the studio said Monday. The project, made with AI video tools from ByteDance Ltd., is officially classified as an animated feature because regulators have yet to create a separate censorship category for AI-generated content. The approval underscores China’s push to commercialize generative AI in mainstream entertainment, in contrast with Western markets, where the technology’s use in film has drawn fierce opposition over copyright and job security.
Robotics firm Robot Era raises over $200 million
Chinese humanoid-robot startup Robot Era has raised more than $200 million in a new funding round led by SF Express, as investors pour capital into robotics companies beginning to deploy machines in real-world commercial settings. Backers in the latest round include equity investors and industrial partners such as HongShan Capital Group, IDG Capital, CICC Capital, Kengic Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. and a China Unicom-affiliated fund. Robot Era said it has achieved product-market fit after deploying robots in more than 10 logistics centers across northern, eastern and southern China through partnerships with SF Express and China Post. The company said its embodied-AI robots can operate steadily around the clock, reaching 85% of human efficiency in some logistics hubs. Deliveries of thousands of units are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
Global smartphone SoC shipments fall 8% in first quarter
Global smartphone system-on-a-chip (SoC) shipments declined 8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, according to a preliminary report released by Counterpoint Research on Monday. Ongoing memory supply constraints are affecting new product development for smartphone and SoC manufacturers, prompting them to optimize their product portfolios. The premium smartphone market performed relatively well, with rising costs largely passed on to consumers. Meanwhile, makers of entry-level smartphones are increasingly adopting older, lower-cost chipsets to maintain price competitiveness.
