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China rejects claims of curbing US tech funding as Beijing pursues self-reliance

South China Morning Post · · 270 words · By Iris Deng
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3354547/despite-blocking-metas-manus-de…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

6 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

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verified Verified By Reference 1
info Single Source 1
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“China’s top economic planner denied pressuring domestic tech companies to turn down foreign investment”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that a spokesperson for the NDRC stated that China has never required its tech companies to refuse foreign investment.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China is the head of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China and a m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairman_of_the_National_Devel…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is the third-ranked ministerial-level cabinet department of the State Council of China and is tasked for macroeconomic management. Established as…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Development_and_Refor…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Energy Commission (NEC; Chinese: 国家能源委员会; pinyin: Guójiā Néngyuán Wěiyuánhuì) is an interdepartmental coordinating agency of the State Council that coordinates the overall energy policies…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Energy_Commission
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“the NDRC announced in late April that it had blocked Meta Platforms’ proposed purchase of Manus”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web search results explicitly state that the NDRC blocked Meta Platforms' acquisition of the AI start-up Manus in late April (specifically April 27, 2026).
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web search NEUTRAL — On April 27, 2026, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) formally blocked Meta Platforms’ (Facebook’s parent company) approximately $2 billion (£1.48 billion) acquisition of artifi…
https://goodinfo.net/en/posts/ai-tech/meta-china-blocks-manu…
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web search NEUTRAL — Meta Platforms — subject. Manus AI — subject.The NDRC's ruling is the first publicly disclosed prohibition under China's foreign investment security review mechanism applied to an AI acquisition, and …
https://www.the-ledger.net/events/china-blocks-meta-manus-ac…
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web search NEUTRAL — China's NDRC blocked Meta's $2B acquisition of Manus, the Singapore-registered but Beijing-founded agentic AI startup. Here's what the ruling means for every Chinese AI founder and cross-border deal.
https://www.remio.ai/post/china-blocked-meta-s-2b-manus-acqu…
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“Manus, an AI start-up officially registered in Singapore but that developed its products in mainland China”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia explicitly confirms that Manus is an autonomous AI agent developed by Butterfly Effect, a company founded in China and based in Singapore. This is further corroborated by Bloomberg and other web results.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The roots of the development of artificial intelligence in the People's Republic of China started in the late 1970s following Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening up emphasizing science and technology a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence_indust…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, representing 17% of the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Manus (meaning hand in Latin) is an autonomous artificial intelligence agent developed by Butterfly Effect, a company founded in China and based in Singapore.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manus_(AI_agent)
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Bloomberg reported in April that Chinese regulators, including the NDRC, were planning to restrict China’s top AI firms and other tech companies from accepting US capital without government approval”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the provided evidence contains general information about Bloomberg, there is no specific evidence in the provided search results that confirms a Bloomberg report from April regarding the NDRC planning to restrict US capital without approval.
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web search NEUTRAL — Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial, software, data, and media company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was co-founded by Michael Bloomberg in 1981, with Thomas…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomberg_L.P.
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web search NEUTRAL — Bloomberg delivers business and markets news, data, analysis, and video to the world, featuring stories from Businessweek and Bloomberg News
https://www.bloomberg.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Oct 18, 2024 · Bloomberg Live: Business, Finance, Earnings & Investment News | Watch 7AM - 6PM ET Weekdays HEATED ARGUMENTS IN WHITE HOUSE - w/ Col. Larry Wilkerson
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iEpJwprxDdk
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“A separate Bloomberg report on Thursday said that Manus was considering raising around US$1 billion from external investors to meet Beijing’s demand to unwind the takeover”
CORROBORATED
The claim is corroborated by Bloomberg and Reuters, both reporting that Manus founders are considering raising approximately $1 billion to unwind the Meta takeover.
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web search NEUTRAL — Still, it’s unclear how Meta would unwind the deal on a practical level. Manus employees have joined Meta, capital has been transferred and the startup’s executives are now part of the US firm’s rapid…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-21/manus-wei…
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web search NEUTRAL — May 21 (Reuters) - Manus co-founders are weighing ways to comply with China's order to unwind Meta’s $2 billion-plus acquisition of the AI startup, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-manus-founders-seek…
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web search NEUTRAL — Manus Weighs Raising $1 Billion to Unwind Meta Takeover. 15 hours ago. Save for later.China's Manus founders seek $1 billion to undo Meta takeover, Bloomberg News reports.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
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“Li Chao, spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at a press conference on Friday: 'We have never required Chinese tech firms not to accept foreign investment'”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results quote NDRC spokesperson Li Chao directly stating, 'We have never required Chinese technology companies not to accept foreign investment' during a press briefing.
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web search NEUTRAL — Li Chao, the NDRC spokesperson, made the remarks during a press conference when responding to a question saying that there have been online reports claiming that the Chinese government plans to requir…
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202605/1361649.shtml
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web search NEUTRAL — “We have never required Chinese technology companies not to accept foreign investment,” NDRC spokesperson Li Chao told reporters during a press briefing. “At the same time, foreign investment must com…
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/startups-tech/meta-manus-de…
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web search NEUTRAL — Read more news on. China Meta Manus Investment FDI.Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Image for NSE gets EDs, paycheck draws past parallels.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/china-does…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.