# China blocks SoftBank's $5.4 billion takeover of ABB's robotics division

> Original title: China blocks SoftBank’s US$5.4 billion takeover of ABB’s robotics division

- Source: South China Morning Post · Tech
- Published: 2026-11-05T10:23:53.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/lxawa9z0dodp2krjw9rukmzai
- Original: https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3373415/china-blocks-softbanks-us54-billion-takeover-abbs-robotics-division

## Summary

China's state planner has told SoftBank it will not allow its US$5.4 billion acquisition of ABB's robotics division to proceed, ABB said on Thursday. The case is the second major deal China has blocked this year, after Meta was ordered to unwind its US$2 billion-plus acquisition of AI start-up Manus. The decision reflects Beijing's tighter scrutiny of foreign investment in domestic start-ups developing frontier technologies.