China's National Development and Reform Commission has blocked Meta Platforms' proposed purchase of Manus, an AI start-up developed in mainland China. The ruling forces the cancellation of the transaction, impacting international tech deals.

Beijing has blocked the proposed purchase by Meta Platforms of artificial intelligence firm Manus, a start-up that is officially registered in Singapore but developed its products in mainland China. The National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner, announced the ruling in a statement on Monday, and asked the parties involved in the deal to cancel the transaction. Neither Meta nor Manus immediately responded to a request for comment on Monday. The decision...