Advertisement
Opinion
Manus leaving China reflects tough balancing act amid geopolitical tensions
For successful start-ups like Manus, a relocation could be a pragmatic option that brings benefits in terms of resources and access
3-MIN READ3-MIN
Listen
Billy Huang is a media veteran who has worked at leading organisations across the Pacific, including Xinhua News Agency in Beijing, CNN headquarters in Atlanta, MediaCorp in Singapore, KyLinTV in New York and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong.
As Tencent unveiled a dozen artificial intelligence (AI) agents at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, one name was conspicuously absent: Manus.
Once a rising star in China’s AI scene, Manus has since relocated its headquarters to Singapore, quietly stepping out of the mainland spotlight just as Big Tech players from Tencent to ByteDance rush to fill the void. The timing is not coincidental.
Manus’ departure didn’t trigger fireworks, but it did mark a turning point. The company, now backed by US investors and operating abroad, had demonstrated early how general-purpose AI agents could perform complex tasks – writing reports, designing websites, coding apps – in minutes. Its success story also showed just how much room Chinese start-ups need to grow, as well as how hard that space can be to find at home.
At the Fortune Brainstorm AI conference last month in Singapore, where industry players discussed the future of artificial intelligence in a time of geopolitical realignment, one sentiment echoed: building globally now requires more than just a good product. It requires room to operate – across markets, borders and ideas.
Select Voice
Select Speed
1x
AI-generated voice