
China blocks SoftBank's $5.4 billion ABB Robotics deal
The move
China's foreign-investment security review office told SoftBank it would block the firm's planned $5.4 billion purchase of ABB's robotics division, ABB confirmed Nov. 5. The deal had already cleared China's competition review in February and the European Commission in March. ABB said the two companies are "in close dialogue and are working constructively on the transaction"; neither company commented further.
Why it matters
Reports say Chinese regulators were concerned that robotics data from the unit could be sent overseas and used to train AI models, including OpenAI's, in which SoftBank is a major investor. It is the second major tech deal China has blocked this year, after unwinding Meta's purchase of AI startup Manus.
The bear case
SoftBank is reportedly weighing whether to reapply or spin off part of the business to win approval, so the deal may not be dead yet.
What to watch
Whether SoftBank resubmits the deal in a restructured form.
