Handelsblatt1 hour agoBusiness2 min readGermany

Starbucks opens cafes in Xinjiang – US politician calls for closure due to Uyghur oppression

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Starbucks has opened two cafes in China's Xinjiang region, prompting U.S.
House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar to call on the company to close the stores amid human rights allegations against Uyghurs.
Beijing rejects the allegations.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Starbucks sold 60 percent of its stores in China to Chinese financial investor Boyu Capital in the spring. Human rights organizations accuse the Chinese government of repressing the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, which Beijing rejects.

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The US company Starbucks is opening cafes in the Chinese region of Xinjiang for the first time. A US representative points to human rights allegations against Beijing and calls for the closure.

The Starbucks logo: The company had just opened two branches in Xinjiang. Photo: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

New York. The US coffee chain Starbucks is coming under political pressure because of its first branches in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. The chairman of the China special committee in the US House of Representatives, John Moolenaar, called on the company to close its stores again in view of the oppression of the Uyghurs. The Republican called the opening “shocking and morally bankrupt.”

“Starbucks should immediately change course and close its stores in Xinjiang,” Moolenaar said in a statement. With every cup sold there, a well-known American brand is linked to the Communist Party's brutal crackdown on the Uyghurs.

Starbucks opened two cafes in the regional capital Urumqi on Tuesday: one at the Grand Bazaar and another at the international airport.

Many members of the predominantly Muslim Uighur minority live in Xinjiang. Human rights organizations accuse the Chinese government of oppressing this minority. Beijing rejects the allegations.

Starbucks sold 60 percent of its branch business in China to the Chinese financial investor Boyu Capital in the spring. The remaining 40 percent still belongs to Starbucks.

Companies are repeatedly coming under pressure from both sides in the dispute over Xinjiang. Volkswagen was criticized for years because of its plant there. At the end of 2024, the location operated jointly with SAIC was sold. Conversely, H&M and Adidas became the target of boycott calls in China in 2021 after raising concerns about possible forced labor in Xinjiang.

More: Starbucks is closing 250 stores in North America

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What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

Starbucks will face public pressure and may issue a statement on human rights concerns in Xinjiang.
Likely · Within weeks
The controversy could lead to further discussions about the responsibilities of multinational companies in regions with human rights abuses.
Possible · Within months

Open Questions

How will Starbucks respond to the US representative's demand?
Will the Chinese government take countermeasures against Starbucks?
How will consumers in China and internationally react to the controversy?