Meta reportedly moves to unwind $2B Manus deal after Beijing’s demand
Meta reportedly moves to unwind $2B Manus deal after Beijing’s demand
据报道，在收到北京方面的要求后，Meta 正着手撤销 20 亿美元的 Manus 收购案
Meta has begun dismantling its $2 billion acquisition of Manus, completing an operational separation from the Chinese-founded AI startup and halting data sharing between the two companies. This is the most concrete step yet toward complying with a divestiture order Beijing issued roughly two months ago on national security grounds. Meta 已开始拆解其对 Manus 的 20 亿美元收购案，完成了与这家中国初创 AI 公司的运营分离，并停止了两家公司之间的数据共享。这是 Meta 为遵守北京方面约两个月前以国家安全为由下达的剥离令所采取的最实质性举措。
Meta has cut Manus off from its internal systems, Bloomberg reported, preventing employees from using Manus tools for internal projects as the two companies move toward a full separation. Meanwhile, according to May reports, the co-founders of Manus have held preliminary discussions about raising approximately $1 billion from outside investors to reclaim the startup from Meta, a move that could pave the way for a Chinese joint venture structure and an eventual listing in Hong Kong, a venue that has seen a surge in AI listings this year for Chinese AI startups like MiniMax and Zhipu. 据彭博社报道，Meta 已经切断了 Manus 与其内部系统的连接，禁止员工在内部项目中使用 Manus 的工具，两家公司正朝着全面分离的方向迈进。与此同时，据 5 月份的报道，Manus 的联合创始人已就从外部投资者处筹集约 10 亿美元资金以从 Meta 手中回购该初创公司进行了初步讨论。此举可能为建立中国合资企业结构铺平道路，并最终在香港上市——今年，MiniMax 和智谱 AI 等中国 AI 初创公司在香港的上市热度激增。
What was supposed to be a landmark exit for Chinese AI is quickly unraveling. The move underscores Beijing’s determination to retain control over strategically sensitive technology, regardless of a company’s offshore incorporation. In addition to the forced divestiture, Chinese authorities have since expanded travel restrictions to researchers and executives at private firms, requiring government approval before heading abroad. 这起本应成为中国 AI 领域里程碑式的退出案例正在迅速瓦解。此举凸显了北京方面保留对战略敏感技术控制权的决心，无论公司是否在海外注册。除了强制剥离外，中国当局此后还扩大了对私营企业研究人员和高管的旅行限制，要求他们在出国前必须获得政府批准。
China is also tightening its grip on foreign capital, with reports indicating that top AI firms, including Moonshot AI, StepFun, and ByteDance, will need government sign-off before accepting U.S. investment, adding another layer to Beijing’s sweeping effort to control its AI sector. Even as Meta moves to sever ties with Manus, the agentic AI startup has continued to ship new features, rolling out integrations with Similarweb and Shopify. 中国也在收紧对外资的管控。据报道，包括月之暗面（Moonshot AI）、阶跃星辰（StepFun）和字节跳动在内的顶级 AI 公司在接受美国投资前需要获得政府批准，这为北京方面全面控制其 AI 行业的努力又增加了一层保障。尽管 Meta 正着手切断与 Manus 的联系，但这家智能体（Agentic AI）初创公司仍在继续发布新功能，并推出了与 Similarweb 和 Shopify 的集成。
Manus drew widespread attention with a viral agent demo, relocated its staff to Singapore in mid-2025 before announcing a $2 billion acquisition by Meta in December. Chinese regulators moved to scrutinize the transaction earlier this year, citing potential violations of technology export controls and foreign investment rules. Manus 凭借一个病毒式传播的智能体演示获得了广泛关注，并于 2025 年年中将员工迁至新加坡，随后在 12 月宣布被 Meta 以 20 亿美元收购。中国监管机构于今年早些时候开始审查该交易，理由是其可能违反了技术出口管制和外商投资规则。
Manus investors, including California-based venture firm Benchmark, have already received their proceeds from the acquisition, while Asian backers, including Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund, have indicated they will cooperate with the unwinding process, according to the WSJ. Manus’ Chinese origins with parent company Butterfly Effect drew scrutiny on both sides of the Pacific, with Senator John Cornyn questioning whether American capital should flow to a Chinese-linked firm. Meta and Manus did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours. 据《华尔街日报》报道，包括加州风投公司 Benchmark 在内的 Manus 投资者已经收到了收购款项，而包括腾讯、HSG 和真格基金在内的亚洲支持者也表示将配合撤资流程。Manus 与母公司 Butterfly Effect 的中国背景引起了太平洋两岸的关注，参议员约翰·科宁（John Cornyn）曾质疑美国资本是否应该流向一家与中国有关联的公司。Meta 和 Manus 在非工作时间未立即回应置评请求。