US lawmaker urges Starbucks to close new stores in Xinjiang over human rights concerns

Store openings in Urumqi

Starbucks opened its first two stores in Xinjiang during the first week of October 2026, placing one at the city centre grand bazaar in the regional capital of Urumqi and a second at the Urumqi international airport. Social media images showed opening queues outside the grand bazaar location, which was decorated with local silk and musical instruments and offered regional menu items such as milk tea, baklava, and lamb pastries. Photos published on the company's official WeChat platform displayed branding in English and Chinese, with no visible signage in the Arabic-based Uyghur script. Starbucks China chief executive officer Liu Wenjuan stated on WeChat that the chain would continue investing in Xinjiang, aiming to build lasting customer relationships. China's state news agency Xinhua reported favorably on the launch, noting municipal expectations of expanded urban consumer spending.

Congressional reaction in Washington

The launch prompted immediate criticism from lawmakers in Washington and a Uyghur advocacy organisation. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House of Representatives Select Committee on China, issued a statement on 1 October 2026 titled "Starbucks offers Venti-sized genocide", demanding that the company reverse course.

This is a shocking and morally bankrupt decision by a company that prides itself on social responsibility.

Moolenaar stated that every coffee sale in Urumqi associates an American brand with the Chinese Communist Party's repressive policies against the Uyghur population.

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.

Corporate presence and regional divergence

The expansion in Urumqi contrasts with decisions by other Western corporations that previously departed Xinjiang. German industrial manufacturers Volkswagen and BASF withdrew their operations from the region in recent years following sustained public scrutiny, while international apparel brands ceased purchasing Xinjiang cotton amid concerns over forced labour. The United States enacted the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act five years prior. Starbucks manages roughly 8,000 stores across China under a joint venture arrangement concluded in April 2026, when private equity firm Boyu Capital acquired a 60% controlling interest.

Human rights allegations and Beijing's response

Beijing rejects international allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, maintaining that its measures counter terrorism, separatism, and religious extremism. A 2022 United Nations report by then High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet documented credible evidence of torture and arbitrary detention, warning of potential crimes against humanity. Chinese government officials assert that their policies successfully halted terrorist attacks, adding that Xinjiang was among the fastest-growing provincial economies in China over the preceding year. Neither Starbucks corporate representatives nor the Chinese Foreign Ministry returned initial requests for comment during China's week-long national holiday.