Starbucks opens first stores in Ürümqi as US lawmaker demands closure

Starbucks opened its first two stores this week in Ürümqi, the capital of Xinjiang — one at the city centre's Grand Bazaar and a second at the international airport. Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, called the openings "a shocking and morally bankrupt decision" and demanded the company "immediately reverse course and close its stores," saying there is no justifiable reason for an American company to do business in a region where Uyghurs face repression. The World Uyghur Congress accused the company of ignoring a "devastating human rights situation"; China's Foreign Ministry dismissed the abuse allegations as "naked lies," and Starbucks China CEO Liu Wenjuan said on WeChat that the company would continue to invest in Xinjiang.

Source: Reuters, October 2, 2026. https://www.kokthum.com/international/us-lawmaker-calls-on-starbucks-to-close-new-stores-in-china-s-xinjiang-in-light-of-uyghur-repression-world-news