NDRC Blocks Meta Acquisition of Manus over AI Security
The NDRC halts Meta’s acquisition of the Manus Project, emphasizing the importance of AI security and national technological sovereignty.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has officially blocked a proposed acquisition of the "Manus Project" by Meta Platforms, marking a significant intervention in the global AI market. The Manus Project, a high-sensitivity AI infrastructure platform, was deemed critical to national technological sovereignty. The NDRC has requested Meta to revoke the transaction immediately to prevent the transfer of core spatial intelligence data.
The decision comes as part of a broader "AI Shield" policy aimed at protecting domestic innovations in Agentic AI and large-scale model architectures. Analysts suggest that the Manus Project holds unique intellectual property related to low-latency edge computing and decentralized AI training, which the NDRC considers essential for the future of domestic autonomous systems.
Meta has expressed disappointment with the ruling, stating that the acquisition was intended to foster global open-source collaboration. However, the NDRC’s move signals an increasingly protective stance on AI assets, reflecting the growing sentiment that high-end AI capabilities are strategic national resources that must remain under local oversight.