China blocked Meta's attempt to acquire AI agent developer Manus
Two co-founders of the startup were forbidden from leaving the Celestial Empire. The decision illustrates how major powers are vying for leadership in the AI sphere and how much they hold onto the minds capable of developing AI.
![[Image of Manus interface or related AI concept]](http://nashaniva.com/img/w840d4webp1/photos/z_2026_04/-rmsr3.jpg.webp)
Photo: play.google.com
Earlier this week, China's National Development and Reform Commission — the key agency responsible for the country's economic strategy — issued a statement announcing a veto on the deal between American tech giant Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) and the startup Manus, which is currently based in Singapore.
The Chinese regulator made an official decision to ban foreign investment in the Manus project and demands that all parties immediately cancel the acquisition process.
Developed by the Beijing-based startup Butterfly Effect, Manus became widely known to the public in March 2025 after a demonstration video of its work went viral on social media. Available to business clients by individual invitation, it quickly generated buzz and great interest.
Unlike conventional chatbots such as ChatGPT or the Chinese DeepSeek, Manus belongs to the category of full-fledged artificial intelligence agents. Its task is not just to conduct dialogue or answer questions, but to independently perform complex tasks "from beginning to end." For example, it is capable of autonomously sorting resumes or fully organizing travel and booking services without step-by-step human intervention.
As Le Monde notes, Beijing's statement came amid technological rivalry with the United States. Analysts had warned as early as late December 2025, when Meta announced an agreement to acquire Manus, that the deal could be stopped by Chinese regulators. The situation escalated last month when the Financial Times reported that Chinese authorities had forbidden two of the startup's co-founders from leaving the country.
Previously, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly cited Manus as an example of successful national innovation. This followed another sensational breakthrough in early 2025 — the release of the R1 logical reasoning model by DeepSeek.
The France-Presse news agency has already contacted representatives of Meta and Manus for comment, but at this time, both parties are refraining from statements. Analysts, in turn, suggest that blocking the deal with Meta appears not only as an economic step but also as a political signal: China is not ready to surrender key technologies to the control of foreign corporations.
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