China Blocks $5.4 Billion Robotics Deal as SoftBank and ABB Explore Alternative Arrangement

2026, November 7

Japan / Switzerland / China

Japanese investment giant SoftBank Group and Swiss engineering company ABB are reportedly exploring an alternative structure to rescue their proposed $5.4 billion robotics transaction after Beijing blocked the deal earlier this week. According to a Bloomberg report cited by Reuters, one possibility involves separating ABB's Chinese robotics operations into an independent company with different ownership arrangements.

China represents approximately 30% of ABB's robotics business, with around 15,000 employees operating across nearly 130 Chinese cities. ABB is also considering other options, including selling the Chinese business to another buyer, potentially valuing it at between $2 billion and $3 billion. The development highlights China's increasingly restrictive approach to foreign investment in strategically important technologies and advanced robotics.