China has moved to block SoftBank's proposed USD 5.4 billion acquisition of ABB's robotics business, the Financial Times reported. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) informed SoftBank it will not approve the transaction, according to the report. The regulator's concerns centre on the potential transfer of sensitive robotics-related data outside China, where it could be used to train artificial intelligence models. SoftBank had agreed in October last year to acquire ABB's robotics division as part of Chairman and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son's strategy to position the Japanese group at the centre of the rapidly expanding AI ecosystem. The proposed acquisition would give SoftBank access to ABB's robotics technology and industrial automation capabilities. China accounts for approximately 30 per cent of the Swiss group's robotics business, making it a key market for the division. According to the FT report, Chinese authorities are particularly concerned that data generated through robotics operations could be transferred overseas and potentially used to train AI models, including those developed by OpenAI, in which SoftBank is a major investor.