Manus, an AI agent released by Chinese start-up Monica Photo: VCG

China's Office of the Working Mechanism for Security Review of Foreign Investment under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced on Monday its decision to prohibit, in accordance with laws and regulations, the foreign acquisition of the Manus project and required the parties involved to revoke the transaction, according to official website of the NDRC.

In last December, Meta announced that it would acquire AI startup Manus, as the US technology giant accelerates efforts to integrate advanced AI across its platforms, according to Reuters.

On April 2, in response to foreign media inquiries regarding what measures the Chinese side would take concerning Manus's move and related questions, He Yadong, spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), said on the issue of cross-border business operations mentioned, China has previously responded to this multiple times.

The MOFCOM spokesperson reiterated that the Chinese government supports enterprises in carrying out cross-border operations and technological cooperation according to their needs, but such activities must comply with China's laws and regulations and fulfill legal procedures.