Meta’s proposed $2 billion acquisition of AI assistant platform Manus is facing growing regulatory scrutiny from Chinese authorities, even as U.S. regulators appear comfortable with the deal’s structure. According to the Financial Times, officials in Beijing are reviewing whether the transaction violates China’s technology export controls, following Manus’s earlier relocation from Beijing to Singapore.
Manus drew attention earlier this year when Benchmark led a financing round, prompting concerns from U.S. Senator John Cornyn and inquiries by the U.S. Treasury Department related to restrictions on American investment in Chinese AI companies. Those concerns contributed to Manus’s gradual operational separation from China.
Chinese regulators are now reportedly assessing whether Manus required an export license when moving its core team abroad, a shift some analysts say could encourage other Chinese AI startups to relocate. The review introduces new uncertainty around Meta’s plans to integrate Manus’s AI agent technology, potentially complicating one of the year’s largest AI acquisitions.
