The Chinese Ministry of Commerce responds to the review of Meta's acquisition of Manus: Enterprises engaged in foreign investment and other activities must comply with Chinese laws and regulations On January 8th, according to Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce held a regular press conference. In response to questions about the review of Meta's acquisition of the artificial intelligence platform Manus, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, He Yadong, said that the Chinese government has always supported enterprises to carry out mutually beneficial cross-border operations and international technology cooperation in accordance with laws and regulations. It should be noted that enterprises engaged in activities such as foreign investment, technology export, data export, cross-border mergers and acquisitions must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow legal procedures. The Ministry of Commerce will conduct an evaluation and investigation with relevant departments on the consistency of laws and regulations related to this acquisition and export control, technology import and export, and foreign investment. Previously, the Financial Times cited informed sources as reporting that China is reviewing Meta's $2 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence platform Manus to assess potential export control violations and determine whether transferring Manus' employees and technology to Singapore requires a Chinese export license. Although the review is still in its early stages and may not necessarily lead to a formal investigation, license requirements may provide China with a way to influence transactions, including in extreme cases attempting to force parties to abandon the deal.