China moves to protect AI talent, probes US tech deals: What did the ministry’s memo say

China is telling US technology companies to stay away from its artificial intelligence (AI) talent and tools. Beijing is making this message clear by opening a probe into Meta’s acquisition of an AI startup called Manus, analysts told Business Insider.

The investigation was confirmed by China’s Ministry of Commerce during a Thursday press conference. According to a statement translated by Google, the ministry will check whether the deal follows China’s laws on export controls and regulations. In simple terms, China wants to see if important technology or knowledge is being taken out of the country unfairly.