China Bans Foreign Acquisition of Manus as DeepSeek Cuts Prices Again

Top Story: NDRC Bans Foreign Acquisition of Manus

On April 27, according to the NDRC's official website, the Foreign Investment Security Review Office issued a prohibition on the investment, ordering the parties involved to revoke the acquisition transaction, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

A recap of events: On December 30, 2025, Manus — the world's first general-purpose AI agent — announced it would be joining U.S. tech giant Meta, stating that the company would continue to offer products and subscription services to users through its app and website while maintaining operations in Singapore. On April 2 of this year, Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong responded to the Meta-Manus acquisition, stating that the Chinese government supports enterprises in conducting cross-border operations and technology cooperation as needed, but that such activities must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow legally prescribed procedures.

The NDRC's prohibition marks a critical step in China's protection of core AI assets. As the world's first general-purpose AI agent, Manus's technological value and strategic significance are self-evident. Industry analysts believe this decision sends a clear signal: cross-border mergers and acquisitions involving critical AI technologies will face increasingly stringent security reviews.

DeepSeek Cuts Input Caching Prices as LLM Price War Continues

DeepSeek recently announced a price reduction on input caching. As a major player in China's large language model sector, the move further drives down the cost of using LLM APIs, potentially encouraging more developers and enterprises to integrate AI capabilities.

Since 2024, the "price war" among domestic LLM providers has intensified, with Baidu, Alibaba, ByteDance, and DeepSeek all adopting aggressive pricing strategies to compete for developer ecosystems. While DeepSeek's latest price cut was expected, it reflects the fierce competition in the current LLM market — whoever can deliver superior inference services at lower cost will seize the ecological advantage.

Consumer Spotlight: Pop Mart LABUBU Refrigerator Sells at Premium Before Launch

A co-branded refrigerator featuring Pop Mart's LABUBU IP has already commanded a market premium of 3,000 yuan before its official release. This phenomenon once again underscores the powerful appeal of IP-driven economics in consumer markets. From designer toys and figurines to home appliance collaborations, Pop Mart continues to push the boundaries of IP commercialization, with AI-driven personalized design and supply chain optimization playing an increasingly important role behind the scenes.

Other Notable Developments

• Shanghai Disneyland responds to smoking-related altercation: A visitor who confronted a man for smoking at Shanghai Disneyland was reportedly assaulted. Video of the incident went viral, prompting a response from Shanghai Disneyland.
• East Buy responds to wave of membership cancellations: East Buy addressed a surge in users requesting membership refunds, reigniting the spotlight on consumer rights protection.
• India's MobiKwik receives central bank approval: Mobile payment platform MobiKwik has secured a payment license from the Reserve Bank of India, as India's fintech ecosystem continues to expand.
• Multiple U.S. budget airlines seek government bailout funds: Amid macroeconomic uncertainty, several U.S. low-cost carriers are seeking government financial support.
• Tokyo encourages civil servants to wear shorts to work: In an effort to reduce air conditioning electricity consumption, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has encouraged civil servants to swap suits for shorts, sparking widespread discussion.

Outlook and Trends

Today's headlines point to two trends worth close attention:

First, the national security dimension of AI assets continues to escalate. The prohibition of the Manus acquisition signals that countries will set higher barriers to the cross-border movement of core AI technologies. China's regulatory stance in this area has shifted from "supporting compliant operations" to "decisively intervening when necessary." Going forward, cross-border transactions involving large language models, AI agents, and other critical technologies may face similar scrutiny.

Second, LLM commercialization is entering uncharted territory. DeepSeek's continued price cuts indicate that LLM APIs are rapidly becoming commoditized infrastructure. As inference costs keep falling, the real competition will shift to innovation capability and ecosystem building at the application layer. For developers and entrepreneurs, this is undeniably positive news — the barriers to using AI are dropping at an unprecedented pace.