China calls US claims over Starbucks' Xinjiang stores a 'blatant lie'

Beijing, October 4 — China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Saturday accused the US House Select Committee on China of "habitually fabricating claims out of thin air for political purposes to attack and smear China." The response came after committee chairman John Moolenaar demanded Starbucks close the first two stores it opened this week in Ürümqi — one at the Grand Bazaar and one at the international airport. Moolenaar had called the openings "shocking and morally bankrupt," saying they tie "an iconic American brand to the CCP's brutal campaign against the Uyghurs." Guo Jiakun said: "The so-called 'genocide' in Xinjiang is a blatant lie," while Starbucks China CEO Liu Wenjuan said the company would continue investing in Xinjiang.

Source: The Leaders Online, October 4, 2026. https://theleaders-online.com/china-slams-us-lie-over-starbucks-stores-in-xinjiang/