The House Select Committee on the CCP in the United States issued a statement on Thursday (October 1st) criticizing Starbucks’ decision to open stores in Xinjiang, China, as a “shocking and morally bankrupt decision.”
The committee stated on its official website that “Starbucks has opened stores in Xinjiang, where the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is carrying out a genocide against the Uighur people and other ethnic minorities.”
Committee Chairman John Moolenaar commented in the statement, “This is a shocking and morally bankrupt decision made by a company that claims to have social responsibility. The CCP has detained over a million Uighurs in the region and is depriving them of their beliefs, language, and culture, and there is no valid reason for an American company to do business in such an area.”
He emphasized, “With every cup of coffee sold, this iconic American brand is being associated with the CCP’s brutal campaign against the Uighur people. Starbucks should immediately change course and close its stores in Xinjiang.” The committee also simultaneously shared a video about the situation in Xinjiang.
Starbucks opened its first two stores in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region capital of Urumqi this week, located at the Tianshan International Airport and the International Grand Bazaar. This move was widely reported by Chinese official media outlets such as Xinhua News Agency and Global Times, as an example of foreign investment ignoring human rights issues in Xinjiang and continuing to expand.
According to official reports, the two stores introduced a menu with local specialties, including salted milk tea; the Grand Bazaar store incorporated elements like traditional musical instruments. Molly Liu, CEO of Starbucks China, stated that entering Xinjiang signifies further expansion of the store network, allowing deeper penetration into this market and building connections with customers.
Starbucks opened its first store in China in 1999. Mainland China is currently its second largest market after the United States. As of September 27, 2026, Starbucks operates 8,342 stores in mainland China.
In April 2026, Starbucks completed a joint venture transaction with Boyu Capital in China aiming to significantly increase the current number of stores. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol stated at the time that by combining its global brand with Boyu’s local expertise, they can serve more customers and enter more cities.
Maya Wang, Asia Deputy Director at Human Rights Watch, pointed out that in regions where Starbucks is expanding, hundreds of thousands of Uighurs are still detained due to their ethnic and religious identities. She believes that the Beijing authorities have been trying to mask human rights violations with a “business as usual” facade, and Starbucks’ presence on the streets of Xinjiang aligns with the CCP’s narrative that “there are no problems in the region.”
In 2022, following an investigation by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Office, it was concluded that there is a large-scale pattern of arbitrary detention in Xinjiang, which could constitute crimes against humanity. The Chinese government has denied such allegations, claiming that the security measures are necessary responses to counter terrorism and extremism. The US has previously imposed sanctions in relation to these issues.
A Starbucks China spokesperson responded to these concerns by stating that each store adheres to the same brand standards and values, including responsible business practices.