Beijing blocks Meta's $2B Manus acquisition, halts co-founders' exit to Singapore; intervention rattles Chinese tech startups using "Singapore-washing" offshore model to bypass US-China scrutiny.

Beijing's surprise intervention on Meta's Manus rattles tech founders, VCs eyeing 'China shedding'

CHONGQING, CHINA - JANUARY 07: In this photo illustration, the Manus logo is displayed on a smartphone screen, with the Chinese national flag visible in the background, on January 7, 2026 in Chongqing, China. Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty Images Tech circles from Silicon Valley to Shenzhen buzzed when Meta acquired Manus, a Singaporean AI startup with Chinese roots, for $2 billion late last year.For Chinese founders striving to build products that could rival American peers, the deal fel...