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The split between China and Silicon Valley just got wider
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China demanded on April 27 that Meta’s $2.55 billion deal with the AI start-up Manus be undone.
PHOTO: IAN C. BATES/NYTIMES
Meaghan Tobin and Erin Griffith
- China blocked Meta's US$2 billion acquisition of AI start-up Manus, deeming AI technology a strategic national asset, escalating US-China tech tensions.
- US investment in Chinese tech drastically dropped since 2021, falling 73% by 2024 due to rising geopolitical risks and regulatory scrutiny.
- Chinese founders now face limited global expansion and foreign investment, forcing them to focus on domestic markets or alternative international investors.
AI generated
TAIPEI – Manus, an artificial intelligence start-up, began with an idea among three engineers in Wuhan, China, united by an obsession with AI and a shared ambition to build a global venture. From the outset, they looked beyond China.
Their big break came in March 2025. Manus had drawn the attention of Silicon Valley investors with an AI agent capable of carrying out tasks on its own. By year’s end, Meta had agreed to acquire Manus.
