Hong Kong, Apr 27, 2026 — China’s top planning agency has blocked the planned foreign takeover of AI startup Manus and ordered the parties to withdraw from the deal. In a brief statement, the National Development and Reform Commission said the Office of the Working Mechanism for Security Review of Foreign Investment made the decision under Chinese laws and regulations. The statement did not explicitly name Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
The commission gave no further explanation for the prohibition. Chinese authorities had announced a review of the transaction earlier this year.
Meta announced in December that it intended to buy Manus, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence company with roots in China. Manus develops a “general-purpose” AI agent capable of executing multi-step, complex tasks autonomously, and Meta said the acquisition would help expand its AI capabilities across its platforms.
At the time of the deal announcement, Meta said Manus would have no continuing Chinese ownership interests and that the startup would wind down services and operations in China. In January, Chinese regulators said they would probe whether the acquisition complied with national laws governing outward investment, technology exports, data transfers and cross-border deals. China’s commerce ministry has emphasized that such transactions must follow Chinese legal requirements.
Meta said most Manus employees are based in Singapore and, in response to Monday’s announcement, reiterated that the transaction “complied fully with applicable law” and that it expects an appropriate resolution to the inquiry.
