Singapore Edition

China Blocks Meta’s Manus Takeover, Upending a Bet on Singapore’s AI Sanctuary Role

A 54-character directive from Beijing has unwound a $2 billion deal — and with it, the idea that Singapore could serve as a neutral bridge between Chinese AI talent and American capital.
The Manus AI logo arranged on a computer in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026.Photographer: Raul Ariano/Bloomberg

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This week, Karthikeyan Sundaram examines how a terse decree from Beijing unwound a $2 billion deal and dealt a blow to hopes that Singapore can be a sanctuary for Chinese AI; Niki Koswanage and Tom Redmond trace the events behind Malaysia’s change of guard at its anti-corruption agency; and Srinidhi Ragavendran visits — or tries to — a Little India institution that has gone dark.