Starbucks Opens Store in Heart of Xinjiang... Sparking Backlash: "Shut It Down Immediately"

Starbucks is facing controversy after expanding into China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where human rights abuses have been continuously alleged.

According to reports from Reuters and other sources on October 3, Starbucks recently opened two new stores in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

One location opened as a flagship store in the Grand Bazaar in downtown Urumqi, while the other opened at the Urumqi International Airport.

Videos and photos posted on social media showed that the stores feature Starbucks logos in English and Chinese, with no informational signs visible in the Uyghur language.

Uyghur is written in the Arabic script and is an official language used alongside Standard Chinese in the Xinjiang region.

Following the news of Starbucks' entry into the Xinjiang region, backlash emerged from the U.S. Congress.

Representative John Moolenaar (Republican-Michigan), Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, urged Starbucks to "shut down the stores immediately."

In a statement released on October 2, he criticized the move, saying, "It is shocking that a company that proudly touts its social responsibility would make this decision," calling it a "morally bankrupt decision."

He added, "There is no justification for an American company to continue doing business in a region where the Chinese Communist Party has detained over 1 million Uyghurs and stripped them of their faith, language, and culture."

In response to a request for comment on these criticisms, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs rebuffed them as "blatant lies," stating, "The Xinjiang region enjoys social stability, economic growth, ethnic unity, and religious harmony."

Starbucks did not respond to Reuters' request for comment regarding the opening in the Xinjiang region.

China is currently in the middle of its National Day holiday period, which runs from October 1 to October 7.

Starbucks opened its first store in China in 1999 and enjoyed popularity amid China's rapid economic growth period, but in recent years, it has been assessed as falling behind local Chinese coffee and tea brands.

In April of this year, the establishment of a joint venture was finalized, with Chinese investment firm Boyu Capital holding a 60% stake in the joint venture for Starbucks' retail business in China, and Starbucks holding 40%.

This joint venture currently operates approximately 8,000 stores in China.

(Photo: Captured from Chinese social media Weibo, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.