South Africa, Jan. 9 -- At a press briefing, He Yadong, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, says, "The Chinese government consistently supports enterprises in conducting mutually beneficial transnational operations and international technological cooperation in accordance with laws and regulations."

This signals Beijing's continued scrutiny of advanced technologies it considers strategically sensitive.

Acquisition terms not disclosed

Meta, the US technology company, acquired Manus last month as it seeks to expand the use of AI agents across its consumer and enterprise products.

The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that the deal was valued at...