U.S. Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, has urged Starbucks to close its first two stores in Xinjiang. The cafés opened in Urumqi on September 29, 2026; the dispute centers on serious human-rights allegations in the region, which China rejects. Starbucks China’s CEO has reportedly said the company will continue investing there.
What happened in Xinjiang?
Starbucks opened two locations in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: one at the Grand Bazaar and one at the international airport. The Guardian reported that the openings took place on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Reuters reported on October 2 that Moolenaar called on the company to “immediately reverse course and close its stores.”
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Moolenaar said the decision was “shocking and morally bankrupt” for a company that presents itself as socially responsible. He argued there was no justifiable reason for a U.S. business to operate in a region where, in his account, the Chinese Communist Party had detained more than a million Uyghurs and was stripping them of their faith, language and culture. The detention figure and characterization are Moolenaar’s claims as reported by Reuters, not an independently established Starbucks-specific finding. Reuters; The Guardian
What has Starbucks said?
Reuters said Starbucks did not respond to its request for comment by publication. Separately, Reuters 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 stores as a local experience combining culture and customer needs. This is Reuters’ account of a WeChat statement, not a direct response to Reuters from Starbucks.
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The outlets are part of Starbucks’ China business, which Reuters reported operates through a joint venture finalized in April 2026. Boyu Capital holds a reported 60% stake in that venture, which operates about 8,000 outlets across China. Those figures describe the China-wide joint venture, not the two Xinjiang cafés. Reuters
What is the human-rights dispute?
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 said Washington and human-rights groups have accused China of genocide in Xinjiang. Beijing denies that accusation. These are distinct descriptions of allegations and assessments; they should not be conflated with a finding that Starbucks itself has committed or facilitated an offense. The Guardian
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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 the government’s position as framing its policies in the region as efforts to counter terrorism, separatism and religious extremism. Reuters
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchAdvocacy groups have also criticized the openings. The World Uyghur Congress urged Starbucks to “stand on the right side of history.” Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Maya Wang told the Guardian: “The presence of Starbucks in Xinjiang’s streets … fits in the party state’s narrative, that there’s nothing wrong about the region.” The Guardian
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Does U.S. forced-labor law mean Starbucks broke the law?
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is relevant background, but it does not by itself establish that the cafés violate U.S. law. A U.S. House hearing transcript describes the Act as a response to forced-labor concerns and explains a rebuttable presumption for goods connected to Xinjiang. That is import and supply-chain context. The reporting available on the store openings does not establish that Starbucks’ stores or products violate the Act, or provide evidence tying either café to forced labor. U.S. House hearing transcript
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