Overview
- China’s state planner, the NDRC, issued a one-line order Monday blocking foreign investment in Manus and requiring all parties to withdraw from the deal.
- Manus builds general-purpose AI agents that can carry out multi-step computer tasks with little input, a capability Meta sought to fold into its products after announcing the acquisition in December.
- Unwinding now looks messy because Manus staff have already joined Meta teams, the startup’s site says it is part of Meta, and investors appear to have been paid.
- The startup was founded in China, moved its operations to Singapore in 2025 after cutting China-based roles, and its co-founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao were reportedly barred from leaving China in March during the review.
- Regulators have also warned leading AI firms to avoid U.S. capital unless approved, a tightening that could chill cross-border AI deals as President Donald Trump prepares to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing in mid-May.