China has launched a review of Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta over its $2 billion acquisition of the artificial intelligence platform Manus for possible violations of technology export controls, in a move that potentially gives Beijing leverage over the high-profile transaction.
The deal, announced last week, represents a rare case of a U.S. group acquiring a cutting-edge AI startup with Chinese roots, at a time when Washington and Beijing are engaged in increasingly fierce competition over a wide range of advanced technologies.
Reportedly, officials at China’s Ministry of Commerce have opened an informal investigation to assess whether the transfer of Manus’s personnel and technology to Singapore, and the subsequent sale to Meta, required an export license under Chinese regulations.
The deal involving Manus has attracted Beijing’s attention due to fears that it could encourage Chinese startups to relocate abroad to circumvent domestic oversight.
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