FILE PHOTO: A logo of the autonomous driving technology startup Pony.ai is seen on a screen during an event in Beijing, China May 13, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo :Autonomous driving startup Pony.ai has put on hold plans to go public in New York through a merger with a blank-check firm at a US$12 billion valuation, after it failed to gain assurances from Beijing that it would not become a target of a crackdown against Chinese technology companies, people familiar with the matter said.