China Blocks Meta's $2B Acquisition of AI Startup Manus Amid Geopolitical Tensions
Chinese regulators halted Meta's purchase of agentic AI firm Manus, citing national security, after founders were barred from leaving the country. The deal, struck after Manus hit $90M ARR, underscores Beijing's strategy to retain AI talent and tech sovereignty. This follows DeepSeek's Huawei-trained V4 release, signaling China's push for independent AI stacks.