🔥From “Chinese Pride” to Regulatory Storm: Where Is Manus Headed?

Manus’ rumored $2B acquisition by Meta was seen as a dream exit for Chinese startups going global — until a sudden regulatory review from China changed everything.

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Not the first case

China has previously intervened in major tech deals (Didi, Ant, ByteDance). Reviews often reshape IPOs, M&A, and business operations.

🔹 Possible outcomes

1️⃣ Conditional approval with structural changes (most likely)

2️⃣ Long-term delay via repeated reviews

3️⃣ Full block or forced restructuring (least likely)

🔹 Founder nationality matters

Founder Xiao Hong’s Chinese citizenship gives Beijing jurisdiction, including potential personal liability and export control enforcement.

🔹 Who owns the tech?

Even if Manus relocates to Singapore, early R&D done in China may still be treated as Chinese intellectual property.

🔹 AI tech export risk

Moving AI Agent code overseas could be classified as invisible tech export, triggering China’s export control laws.

🔹 Data sensitivity

If early model training used Chinese user data, the deal may fall under China’s Data Security Law, raising red flags on data outflow.

💡 Biteye View

In the Sino–US AI rivalry, Manus sits uncomfortably in the middle.

In great-power games, startups often pay the highest price.

📌 Final thought: In an era-scale storm, even a single startup can feel like carrying a mountain.

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