China has mandated Meta to terminate its $2 billion acquisition of Manus, citing regulations concerning foreign investments. This was reported by Bloomberg.
In December 2025, it was revealed that Meta had agreed to purchase the startup Manus. The company develops autonomous general-purpose AI agents capable of independently performing complex tasks such as market research, coding, and data analysis. The technology acts as a bridge, transforming the capabilities of language models into concrete workflows.
The deal sparked discontent from both Beijing and Washington. The United States is keen to limit funding for Chinese firms involved in artificial intelligence.
China did not disclose details of the agreement’s cancellation. It is likely related to concerns over the leakage of valuable technologies to a geopolitical rival.
The founders of Manus began their operations in China but relocated their headquarters and key staff to Singapore in 2025.
“The Manus case was a turning point. Beijing made it clear that the location of the legal entity is not the main concern,” noted Ke Yan, a technical analyst at Singapore’s DZT Research.
Other Partnerships
Meanwhile, Meta announced two new agreements aimed at ensuring reliable energy supply necessary for AI infrastructure and data centers.
The company has partnered with Overview Energy to provide Earth with up to 1 GW of space-based solar power. It plans to enhance the productivity of existing power plants by producing energy around the clock.
“Overview Energy’s satellites, positioned in geostationary orbit where sunlight is constant, collect energy in space and transmit it to ground-based power stations as low-intensity near-infrared light,” the announcement stated.
Meta is also collaborating with Noon Energy to deploy long-duration energy storage systems. This will ensure data centers are supplied with “clean and reliable energy” around the clock.
“Noon Energy uses modular reversible solid oxide fuel cells and carbon-based storage, providing over 100 hours of energy storage,” the corporation emphasized.
In November, Meta began trading electricity to accelerate the construction of new plants in the United States.