Mirror Protectionism: China Blocks Meta’s Acquisition of Manus AI Startup

The era of cross-border M&A in AI has come to an end. On April 27, 2026, the Chinese regulator NDRC strictly blocked an attempt by the American corporation Meta to acquire the local AI startup Manus AI, demanding an immediate rollback of the deal.

This decision is classic geopolitical ping-pong. Late last week, the US issued a global warning about intellectual property theft by Chinese AI giants, and Beijing responded by announcing curbs on American capital. The ban on buying Manus AI became the first public, exemplary punishment. The tech markets of the US and China are definitively closing their doors to each other: algorithms, model weights, and talented developers are recognized as national treasures not subject to export through acquisitions.

Source: Reuters / WSJ