Meta's US$2 billion acquisition of AI agent startup Manus is currently under scrutiny by China's Ministry of Commerce. On January 9, the ministry announced it would review the deal for potential violations of export controls, technology transfer rules, and overseas investment regulations.
This investigation proceeds despite Manus having relocated its headquarters from Beijing to Singapore in 2025. The acquisition highlights the cross-border compliance risks that enterprise AI buyers need to understand, particularly in global technology transactions involving various jurisdictions.