Particle.news
Download on the App Store

China Reviews Meta’s Manus Acquisition for Possible Export-Control Breach

The preliminary check examines whether Manus’ shift to Singapore required an export licence under Chinese rules.

Overview

  • Officials at China’s Ministry of Commerce are conducting an early-stage assessment of the deal, according to the Financial Times report relayed by Reuters.
  • The focus is on staff and core technology moved out of China, which could trigger licensing requirements that give Beijing leverage over the transaction.
  • Meta closed the purchase last month, with sources valuing Manus at roughly $2 billion to $3 billion.
  • Neither Meta nor Manus has commented publicly, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the Financial Times account.
  • Manus, now based in Singapore, gained attention for a general-purpose AI agent capable of autonomous decision-making, underscoring rising geopolitical risk around cross-border AI technology transfers.