 China has blocked Meta's $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus. The deal was closed in early 2026, and Meta had already paid—but the NDRC demanded a retroactive cancellation. This is the first instance of a veto on a foreign acquisition in the AI sector. Three survival strategies for AI startups in the era of geopolitical blockades: 1️⃣ Legal architecture from launch—separating IP, jurisdictions, and teams at the incorporation stage 2️⃣ Multiple exit scenarios—a portfolio of acquirers from the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia 3️⃣ Product-market fit without regard to exit—paying customers here and now survive any blockades ASI Biont analyzes geopolitical risks for AI projects in 12 seconds. 1500 tokens to start → https://asibiont.com