Starbucks has come under political pressure in the United States after opening its first cafés in China’s Xinjiang region, with a senior Republican lawmaker urging the company to shut them down over the treatment of Uyghurs.
John Moolenaar, chair of the US House special committee on China, said Starbucks should “immediately change course” and close its outlets in Xinjiang. He described the move as “shocking and morally bankrupt”.
“With every cup sold there, a famous American brand is being linked to the Communist Party’s brutal repression of the Uyghurs,” Moolenaar said. Starbucks opened two cafés on Tuesday in Ürümqi, the regional capital.
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Xinjiang is home to many members of the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority. Human rights groups accuse the Chinese government of repressing the minority, while Beijing rejects those allegations.
Earlier this year, Starbucks sold 60% of its retail operations in China to the Chinese financial investor Boyu Capital. The remaining 40% is still owned by Starbucks.
Companies have repeatedly come under pressure from both sides over Xinjiang. Volkswagen faced years of criticism over its factory in the region before the plant, operated with SAIC, was sold at the end of 2024.
H&M and Adidas, by contrast, became targets of boycott calls in China in 2021 after expressing concern about possible forced labour in Xinjiang.
