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U.S. Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, has urged Starbucks to close its first two stores in China’s Xinjiang region. The cafés opened in Urumqi on September 29, 2026; Starbucks China CEO Liu Wenjuan has reportedly said the company will continue investing in the region. The dispute centers on severe human-rights allegations and Beijing’s rejection of them—not on a reported finding that Starbucks or these cafés broke U.S. law.
What happened in Xinjiang?
Starbucks opened two locations in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s regional capital: one at the Grand Bazaar and one at the international airport. The Guardian reported that the openings took place Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Reuters reported on October 2 that Moolenaar called on the company to “immediately reverse course and close its stores.” (Reuters; The Guardian)
Moolenaar described the decision as “shocking and morally bankrupt,” saying an American company should not do business in a region where, in his words, the Chinese Communist Party had detained more than a million Uyghurs and was stripping them of their faith, language and culture. That figure and characterization are his claims as reported by Reuters, rather than an independently established count in the reporting.
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What has Starbucks said?
Reuters said Starbucks had not responded to its request for comment by publication time. Separately, the news agency reported that Starbucks China CEO Liu Wenjuan wrote on the company’s official WeChat platform that Starbucks would continue investing in Xinjiang. She described the outlets as a local experience combining culture and customer needs. This is Reuters’ account of Liu’s WeChat statement, not a direct response from Starbucks to Reuters.
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Why is Xinjiang controversial?
The Guardian reported that the United Nations had warned of possible crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, including the detention of more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in camps. The Guardian also reported that the U.S. government and rights groups have accused China of genocide in the region; Beijing denies that accusation. These are grave allegations and assessments, not a claim that the two Starbucks outlets themselves caused or participated in abuses. (The Guardian)
China’s Foreign Ministry rejected U.S. allegations as “naked lies” and said Xinjiang enjoyed “stable society, economic growth, racial unity and religious harmony.” Reuters described Beijing’s position as framing its regional policies as efforts to counter terrorism, separatism and religious extremism. These statements represent the Chinese government’s position.
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Advocacy groups have criticized Starbucks’ presence in the region. The Guardian reported that the World Uyghur Congress urged the company to “stand on the right side of history.” Maya Wang, Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director, said: “The presence of Starbucks in Xinjiang’s streets … fits in the party state’s narrative, that there’s nothing wrong about the region.” The ellipsis is part of the Guardian’s rendering of her quotation. (The Guardian)
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Does opening the stores violate U.S. forced-labor law?
The available reporting does not establish that Starbucks’ Xinjiang stores or products violate the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. A House hearing transcript describes the law as addressing forced-labor concerns and explains a rebuttable presumption for goods connected to Xinjiang. That is import and supply-chain context; it does not make opening cafés in the region, by itself, a demonstrated violation. (U.S. House hearing transcript)
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How does this fit Starbucks’ wider China business?
Reuters reported that Starbucks finalized its China joint venture in April 2026, with strategic investor Boyu Capital holding a 60% stake. The venture operates about 8,000 outlets in China. Those figures describe the China-wide joint venture, not the two new Xinjiang stores. (Reuters)
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