China Accuses US Congressional Panel of Spreading Lies Over Starbucks Xinjiang Stores

File photo: Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun attends a press conference in Beijing, China

China has accused a US congressional panel of spreading “blatant lies” after the committee criticised Starbucks for opening its first stores in Xinjiang, where Washington has accused Beijing of genocide against the Uyghur minority. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the US House Select Committee on China was “fabricating claims out of thin air for political purposes” and had no credibility to comment on the situation in the region. “The so-called ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang is a blatant lie,” Guo said. His remarks came after committee chairman John Moolenaar called Starbucks’ decision to open two outlets in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, “morally bankrupt” and urged the company to shut them.

Starbucks opens first Xinjiang stores

Starbucks opened two cafes in Urumqi this week, one at the city’s international airport and another at the Grand Bazaar, a popular tourist and shopping destination. Moolenaar said the move tied an American brand to what he described as the Chinese Communist Party’s “brutal campaign” against Uyghurs. “There is no justifiable reason for an American company to do business in a region where the CCP has detained more than a million Uyghurs and is stripping them of their faith, language, and culture,” he said in a statement. China rejects accusations of widespread abuses in Xinjiang, saying its policies in the region are aimed at combating terrorism, separatism and religious extremism. Guo said Xinjiang today enjoys “social stability, economic prosperity, ethnic unity and religious harmony”. He added that China would continue to expand high-standard opening-up and create more opportunities for foreign companies to invest and grow in the country.

Xinjiang rights allegations

The US and other governments have accused China of serious rights abuses against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, while Beijing has repeatedly denied the allegations. A 2022 United Nations assessment said Chinese authorities may have committed crimes against humanity in the region and referred to the detention of more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. Rights groups have also accused Chinese authorities of continuing to use forced labour in Xinjiang. The competing claims have become a major source of tension between Beijing and Washington, with the US formally describing China's treatment of Uyghurs as genocide. Starbucks has said it will continue investing in Xinjiang. China CEO Liu Wenjuan said on the company’s official WeChat account that the company would continue its investment in the region. The opening of the two Xinjiang stores comes as Starbucks expands its presence in China through a new joint venture. In April, Starbucks finalised a deal bringing Boyu Capital in as a strategic investor with a 60% stake in its China joint venture. The venture operates about 8,000 Starbucks outlets across the country.

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