Manus said on August 11 it will resume independent operations after Chinese regulators blocked its roughly $2B sale to Meta, unwinding a transaction the companies announced on December 29, 2025. China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC, state economic planner) ordered the parties on April 27, 2026 to withdraw from the deal, citing technology transfer concerns amid broader U.S.-China tensions in tech industries. Manus said it had fully separated operations from Meta by May 2026 and halted data sharing, while telling customers to delete any data created after the acquisition announcement to meet jurisdictional rules. The outcome suggests Chinese authorities can still assert control over overseas-incorporated AI startups with mainland roots, even when they are based in places such as Singapore, and sends Manus back into the market as an independent AI agent company.