China Blocks Tech Acquisitions To Weaken America. The U.S. Shouldn't Follow Suit.
China has blocked Meta's $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus, citing regulatory authority over cross-border mergers, following a broader pattern of restricting foreign tech deals to bolster domestic champions. This move mirrors past actions such as the blocked Intel-Tower Semiconductor deal, while U.S. antitrust enforcement has similarly derailed deals like Amazon's attempted purchase of iRobot. The article argues that overly aggressive antitrust policies in the West may inadvertently benefit Chinese competitors by weakening American tech firms.
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Antitrust China Blocks Tech Acquisitions To Weaken America. The U.S. Shouldn't Follow Suit. China ordered Meta to roll back its acquisition of AI startup Manus on Monday. Jack Nicastro and Joseph V. Coniglio | 4.30.2026 4:25 PM Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google Media Contact & Reprint Requests <img src="https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/c800x450-w800-q80/uploads/2026/04/China-Manas-Meta-v1-800x450.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto" width="1200" height="675" title="A figure illustrated with the Chinese flag fighting with a figure illustrated with the Manus logo.
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