China blocks SoftBank’s $5.4 billion bid for ABB robotics unit
Why it matters: The setback hits Masayoshi Son’s push into AI infrastructure and sent SoftBank shares down more than 7% in Tokyo.
China has blocked SoftBank Group’s $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB’s robotics unit, the Financial Times reported, frustrating a deal Masayoshi Son had cast as central to the Japanese group’s expansion in AI-linked industrial technology. The unit has more than 7,000 employees and supplies robotic arms and factory machinery to manufacturers including BMW, with a large footprint in China. The report said China’s National Development and Reform Commission opposed the transaction after a foreign investment security review. SoftBank was recently informed and is weighing whether it can seek approval again. Investor concern has grown over SoftBank’s large OpenAI stake and its data center commitments, making the ABB business an expected source of steadier earnings.