Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

cnbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 365 posts

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#51

Post by [deleted] »

aesch wrote: post #22
stego-tech wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect this is more of a warning shot to others attempting the same playbook ("Singapore-washing", as I've heard folks call it): the state is watching, and shifting geopolitics means it's in their interest to retain successful talent and entities at home rather than let opposition have them. If anything, I'm genuinely surprised it took them this long. America's been doing this for decades without much in the way o…

I don't know if America has done anything quite like this. The example I'm looking for is where a company starts in the US but leaves and incorporates outside the US and then the US attempts to block acquisition by a foreign company. Also, the enforcement mechanism while vague seems un-American. America might tax the company upon exit but it wouldn't hold the founders hostage in America. If you have examples I'd be c…

[deleted]

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#52

Post by pishpash »

some_random wrote: post #34
stego-tech wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, they're just cribbing what America did, and what the British Empire did before that. It's a disgusting playbook, but it's also an effective one if you're a state trying to exert control over important players or entities.

Not even getting into the more dubious part of this claim, just because the British or Americans did it doesn't mean it's right or acceptable. If you disagree with that, you're implicitly pro slavery, pro penal expeditions, etc.

There is this thing called implicit acceptability. If you really find it unacceptable you might want to start close to your circle of concern. Otherwise, pretty sure you find it acceptable by action.

Many, even most people are pro-slavery and pro-whatever as we speak, even paying to see it happen. They only mouth some useless moralizing words.

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#53

Post by stego-tech »

some_random wrote: post #34
stego-tech wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, they're just cribbing what America did, and what the British Empire did before that. It's a disgusting playbook, but it's also an effective one if you're a state trying to exert control over important players or entities.

Not even getting into the more dubious part of this claim, just because the British or Americans did it doesn't mean it's right or acceptable. If you disagree with that, you're implicitly pro slavery, pro penal expeditions, etc.

Oh, no, it's incredibly reprehensible what China's doing.

Just like it was reprehensible that America propped up the Iranian shah to ensure western oil interests were served. And reprehensible that the British Empire got the Chinese addicted to Opium to force more favorable trade agreements. Also reprehensible is the Cuban blockade imposed by America, which has prohibited the country from thriving or failing on its own merits and forced suffering onto its people.

It's all reprehensible, and it should all be held up lest folks get this notion that America is this infallible savior who can do no wrong. It's bad, and it should never happen, but it does and it will so long as people keep buying into Nationalist narratives like these.

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#54

Post by nerdsniper »

stego-tech wrote: post #49
reissbaker wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've been all over this this thread responding with the same whataboutist comments claiming America does the same thing. And yet, I'm pretty sure America hasn't held American citizens hostage in order to force them to unwind a sale of a foreign company they founded to a different foreign company.

[flagged]

Just last year the USA de-banked (from EU banks) EU citizens who are International Criminal Court officials for "opening preliminary investigations against Israeli personnel". The USA wields incredible power over financial interactions.

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#55

Post by itopaloglu83 »

wxw wrote: post #6

> After a $75 million fundraising round led by U.S. venture firm Benchmark in May 2025, Manus shut its China offices in July, laying off dozens of employees. It then moved its operations to Singapore. > It was not immediately clear on what grounds China was seeking the annulment of a deal involving a Singapore-based company and how, if at all, a completed acquisition transaction would be unwound. > Manus' two co-foun…

Looks like the issue will be “dealt with” though we don’t know how exactly.

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#56

Post by throw03172019 »

wxw wrote: post #6

> After a $75 million fundraising round led by U.S. venture firm Benchmark in May 2025, Manus shut its China offices in July, laying off dozens of employees. It then moved its operations to Singapore. > It was not immediately clear on what grounds China was seeking the annulment of a deal involving a Singapore-based company and how, if at all, a completed acquisition transaction would be unwound. > Manus' two co-foun…

Dealt with is the founders / team / investors losing out of the $2B. That’s the punishment from China.

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#57

Post by maxglute »

jorblumesea wrote: post #20

So China is just claiming that anyone who is ethnically Chinese should be pressured? Manus is in Singapore and has no direct connections to China physically and financially. SG offices, SG product, SG founders with family on the mainland.

Manus started in China, built by Chinese talent, hence all their work under purview of PRC export control laws, PRC merely closing loophole on SG washing. They haven't even done nuclear option like banning PRC from working in US AI like US has done in PRC semi.

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#58

Post by stickfigure »

stego-tech wrote: post #49
reissbaker wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You've been all over this this thread responding with the same whataboutist comments claiming America does the same thing. And yet, I'm pretty sure America hasn't held American citizens hostage in order to force them to unwind a sale of a foreign company they founded to a different foreign company.

[flagged]

> You're right.

You should have just left it at that.

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#59

Post by maxglute »

reissbaker wrote: post #24
stego-tech wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect this is more of a warning shot to others attempting the same playbook ("Singapore-washing", as I've heard folks call it): the state is watching, and shifting geopolitics means it's in their interest to retain successful talent and entities at home rather than let opposition have them. If anything, I'm genuinely surprised it took them this long. America's been doing this for decades without much in the way o…

You've been all over this this thread responding with the same whataboutist comments claiming America does the same thing. And yet, I'm pretty sure America hasn't held American citizens hostage in order to force them to unwind a sale of a foreign company they founded to a different foreign company.

US absolutely has exit bans on people who break/is being investigated for national security and export control laws, which is what Manus did. Except Americans don't call it hostage taking when they do it.

Re: China blocks Meta's acquisition of AI startup Manus

#60

Post by [deleted] »

reissbaker wrote: post #24
stego-tech wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect this is more of a warning shot to others attempting the same playbook ("Singapore-washing", as I've heard folks call it): the state is watching, and shifting geopolitics means it's in their interest to retain successful talent and entities at home rather than let opposition have them. If anything, I'm genuinely surprised it took them this long. America's been doing this for decades without much in the way o…

You've been all over this this thread responding with the same whataboutist comments claiming America does the same thing. And yet, I'm pretty sure America hasn't held American citizens hostage in order to force them to unwind a sale of a foreign company they founded to a different foreign company.

[deleted]
Post reply on HN