Why 70-year-old Chinese regulator is now Zuckerberg & Silicon Valley's ‘most expensive’ headache

China's economic planning body, the NDRC, has effectively halted Meta's $2 billion acquisition of AI firm Manus. Despite the company reincorporating in Singapore and moving its operations, Beijing intervened, barring founders from leaving and ordering the deal unwound. This move signals a significant shift in China's oversight of tech deals, impacting future foreign investments.