China's block of Meta-Manus deal underscores higher bar for cross-border tech deals
By MLex Staff ( April 29, 2026, 08:09 GMT | Comment) -- China's landmark decision to block Meta Platforms' acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus underscores Beijing's evolving approach to evaluating cross-border technology deals, with authorities now explicitly tying AI and technical talent to national security imperatives. The move represents one of the most significant uses yet of Beijing's expanding toolkit for controlling such flows, and appears to be the first proactively disclosed case in which a deal was both blocked and ordered unwound since the implementation of China’s 2021 foreign investment security review rules.China's landmark decision to block Meta Platforms' acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus highlights Beijing's evolving approach to evaluating cross-border technology deals, with authorities now explicitly tying AI and technical talent to national security imperatives....
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