China blocked the deal on Meta's acquisition of a Chinese AI startup

China has blocked the acquisition by Meta (the company's activities are recognized as extremist and prohibited in Russia) of the startup Manus, which develops software based on autonomous AI agents with an estimated value of about $2 billion. This was reported by Bloomberg on April 27.

"The National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China has ordered the cancellation of the deal," the article says.

The decision was unexpected, as the deal was already nearing completion. The authorities demanded that it be canceled after checking possible violations of the rules for technology and investment withdrawal abroad. Initially, the agreement was seen as a successful example of a Chinese AI startup entering the global market. However, criticism later intensified in Beijing, as there were concerns that key technologies could go to the United States. After that, Chinese regulators began to more strictly control companies in the field of artificial intelligence.

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The South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper reported on April 24 that the State Grid Corporation of China will allocate 6.8 billion yuan (about $ 1 billion) in 2026 for the acquisition of about 8.5 thousand robots with artificial intelligence. According to the publication, taking into account similar plans of other Chinese energy companies, including China Southern Power Grid, the total investment in robotic intelligent solutions in the Chinese energy sector in 2026 may exceed 10 billion yuan (about $1.46 billion).

Bloomberg reported on April 23 that Meta is going to lay off 10% of its employees, or about 8 thousand people, in order to compensate for the significant costs of developing artificial intelligence (AI). According to the newspaper, the company announced future layoffs in a memo sent to employees. At the same time, the cuts themselves will begin as early as May 20 of this year.