HONG KONG -- 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..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.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.Meta said last week there would be “no continuing Chinese ownership interests in Manus AI” following the acquisition, and that Manus would discontinue its services and operations in China.Meta’s platforms including Facebook and Instagram are still banned in China under the country’s “Great Firewall”.Popular ReadsVenezuela live updates: Trump reportedly suggests lengthy US oversight of Venezuela1 hour ago37-year-old woman fatally shot by ICE officer in Minneapolis identifiedJan 7, 6:56 PMFBI releases images of seized motorcycles as search for Ryan Wedding continuesDec 30, 4:51 PMManus said it would continue to operate in Singapore, where most of its employees are now based.“A key question is whether any technologies prohibited or restricted from export under Chinese laws and regulations are exported without a license,” he wrote.Last month, Manus said its annual recurring revenue had reached more than $100 million.___Associated Press researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing contributed to this report.
China to probe Meta's acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus
