China to probe Meta’s acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus

By CHAN HO-HIM HONG KONG (AP) — China said on Thursday it would assess and investigate Meta’s acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus, in a move highlighting its technology rivalry with the U.S. Related Articles Google adds new AI features to Gmail, turning it into a personal assistant Elon Musk’s xAI to build $20 billion data center in Mississippi ‘Worst in Show’ CES products include AI refrigerators, AI companions and AI doorbells Musk’s AI chatbot faces global backlash over sexualized images of women and children Trump Mobile’s golden phone remains nowhere to be found Meta announced last week it was buying Manus, which is Singapore-based with Chinese roots, as the California tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram expands its AI offerings across its platforms. It is a rare acquisition by a U.S. tech group of an AI company with Chinese roots, at a time of heightened frictions between Washington and Beijing. On Thursday, China’s Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yadong told reporters that it would work with relevant departments to assess and investigate whether Meta’s acquisition of Manus is consistent with Chinese laws and regulations. Any enterprises engaging in outward investment, technology export, data transfer and cross-border mergers and acquisitions must comply with Chinese laws, He said. Meta and Manus did not immediately reply to requests for comment. “Security has become the top concern for Chinese policymakers,” said Gary Ng, a senior economist for Asia Pacific at investment bank Natixis. “Any tech transfer that could give the U.S. an edge in…

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