China’s Meta Backlash Renders Manus Model ‘Officially Dead’

The AI startup Manus, once hailed as a breakthrough that would challenge Silicon Valley’s dominance, is turning into a cautionary tale for Chinese entrepreneurs after Beijing authorities ordered Meta Platforms Inc. to unwind its $2 billion takeover of the company.

With a chilling 54-character decree from the top state planner, Beijing demonstrated its determination to prevent the transfer of sensitive technology to geopolitical foes at all costs. That follows a recent decision to bar major tech firms including ByteDance Ltd. and Moonshot AI from taking American capital without approval, and a clampdown on offshore Chinese companies seeking to list in ...