Beijing branded Meta’s $2bn acquisition of Manus a “conspiratorial” attempt to hollow out the country’s technology base, triggering a multi-agency effort to contain fallout from the deal. According to two people who later learned of the outcome, the assessment was made by China’s National Security Commission, a body led by President Xi Jinping. Its reports are usually reviewed directly by senior Communist Party leaders. The opinion, reached shortly after the deal was announced in December 2025, thrust what was a landmark tech exit into the centre of China’s tech and national security agenda. Chinese regulators have since mobilised across multiple agencies to review the transaction, drawing in bodies including the National Development and Reform Commission, the commerce ministry and China’s antitrust watchdog, according to people familiar with the matter.

Full report : China mobilizes multiple agencies to probe Meta’s $2 billion Manus deal; some officials worry aggressive measures may send chilling signals to the tech sector.