Meta’s planned acquisition of AI startup Manus is facing a formal review by China’s Ministry of Commerce, but the focus is on export controls and technology transfer from China, not on Manus being a Chinese company or on Meta’s impact on China’s domestic competition. Manus is an AI “agent” startup founded by Chinese entrepreneurs but now headquartered in Singapore, and the deal is valued at more than $2 billion, potentially up to $2.5–3 billion according to some reports.
Meta’s Strategic Bet on Manus AI Agents
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, agreed in late 2025 to acquire Manus, an AI agent company that builds autonomous software agents able to perform tasks like market research, data analysis, resume screening and other workflow automation for business and individual customers. Manus is not “Manus Metaal Export” and is not a Dutch robotics or metal‑export company; it is a Singapore‑based AI startup that previously operated in China before relocating. Reports indicate the transaction is worth over $2 billion, with some estimates suggesting up to $2.5 billion including retention packages.
Manus had quickly become one of the more commercially successful AI agents on the market, reportedly reaching over $100 million in annual recurring revenue within about eight months of launch and attracting millions of paying or waitlisted users. For Meta, the acquisition is a strategic move to deepen its enterprise and agentic AI capabilities and to compete more directly with players like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and Salesforce.
Export Controls, Not Antitrust: China’s Angle
Chinese authorities are not running a conventional anti‑monopoly review based on domestic consumer impact. Instead, the Ministry of Commerce has said it will “assess and investigate” the deal to determine whether Manus’s relocation of staff and technology from China to Singapore, followed by the sale to Meta, should have required an export licence under Chinese technology‑control and export laws.
Officials are reportedly focusing on AI models and intellectual property that were developed when Manus (or related entities) were still based in China, and whether transferring that technology abroad – and ultimately to a major U.S. tech firm – could violate export‑control rules or be deemed sensitive for national‑security reasons. A Commerce Ministry spokesperson has said the ministry will coordinate with other authorities to ensure the transaction complies with regulations on export controls, technology import and export, and overseas investment.
Meta, for its part, has said there will be “no continuing Chinese ownership interests in Manus AI” after the acquisition and that Manus will discontinue its operations and services in China, continuing as a Singapore‑based entity. Meta’s core social platforms remain blocked under China’s Great Firewall, so this review is not about Meta entering the Chinese consumer market, but about control over strategically sensitive AI technology developed in or linked to China.
Broader Implications For Global AI Deals
The Manus review underscores the increasingly complex regulatory landscape for cross‑border AI transactions, where governments worldwide are tightening controls on technology transfers amid geopolitical tensions. Similar scrutiny has appeared in U.S. reviews of Chinese investments and EU national‑security assessments, reflecting a shared concern that AI’s dual‑use potential – for commercial gain and strategic advantage – demands careful oversight.
If approved, the deal would allow Meta to integrate Manus’s agent technology into its broader AI ecosystem, potentially accelerating enterprise tools and consumer features. A block or significant concessions, however, could force Meta to pivot to alternative targets or in‑house development, while signalling to other U.S. firms that even “delocalised” Chinese‑origin AI startups remain under Beijing’s export jurisdiction.
The timeline remains unclear, with similar cases taking months or longer to resolve. As China balances innovation promotion with security, and the U.S. pushes its own tech edge, deals like Meta’s Manus acquisition highlight how national priorities are reshaping the global AI race.
