Meta’s planned acquisition of agentic AI startup Manus has reportedly been halted by the Chinese government.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission on Monday, April 27, ordered the $2 billion takeover deal to be cancelled, according to a report by Bloomberg. The decision comes after the country’s state planner launched a probe into illegal foreign investment and tech exports following Meta’s announcement of the Manus acquisition in December 2025.
The multibillion-dollar takeover deal was reportedly close to completion, and its potential collapse could deal a blow to Meta, which sought to snap up the buzzy agentic AI startup as part of the social media giant’s broader strategy of using its financial firepower to scoop up talent and buy capabilities in order to gain an edge over rivals in the AI arms race.
Beijing’s obstruction of the Manus acquisition could also deepen the rivalry between the US and China in the global AI race. Originally founded in China, Manus has since shifted its base to Singapore and in 2025, made its debut with a general-purpose AI agent – LLM-powered systems that can autonomously navigate the web and complete tasks on behalf of the user.
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