Full Breakdown
Starbucks Faces U.S. Lawmaker Call to Shut First Xinjiang Stores
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Opening and Immediate Political Backlash
- On September 29, Starbucks inaugurated two cafés in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. One outlet opened in the city’s Grand Bazaar and the other at Diwopu International Airport.
- The openings marked the coffee chain’s first presence in Xinjiang.
- On October 1, Representative John Moolenaar, Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, issued a statement demanding the stores be closed immediately, calling the move “morally bankrupt.”
- On October 2, Moolenaar reiterated the demand, describing the decision as “shocking and morally bankrupt.”
Background & Context
- Xinjiang is home to the Uyghur Muslim minority. U.S. officials and United Nations bodies have accused the Chinese government of detaining more than one million Uyghurs, imposing forced labour, sterilization, and severe restrictions on religion and culture. The U.S. State Department labels the campaign a genocide (2021).
- Starbucks finalized a China joint-venture in April 2026, selling a 60 % stake to a strategic investor (named Boyu Capital in some reports and Boya Capital in others). The venture operates roughly 8 000 outlets in China and aims to expand to 20 000.
Data & Statistics
- Starbucks’ China joint-venture currently runs about 8 000 stores, with a long-term target of 20 000.
- Chinese state media reported a 22 % year-on-year increase in new foreign-funded enterprises and a 10 % rise in foreign investment in 2025, with over 300 million foreign visitors generating $53 billion.
- A 2021 U.S. law treats all products from Xinjiang as presumed to involve forced labour unless a company can prove otherwise.
Official Statements & Responses
- John Moolenaar said there is no justifiable reason for an American company to operate in a region where the CCP has detained more than a million Uyghurs and is stripping them of faith, language and culture.
- China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the U.S. allegations as “naked lies,” asserting that Xinjiang enjoys stability and will continue to offer investment opportunities to foreign firms.
- Starbucks China CEO Liu Wenjuan posted on the company’s official WeChat platform that Starbucks will continue investing in Xinjiang.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Detention figures: U.S. and UN sources cite “more than one million” Uyghurs detained; the Chinese Foreign Ministry calls the claim “naked lies” and provides no figures.
- Investor name: Some sources identify the strategic investor as Boyu Capital, while others refer to it as Boya Capital. No clarification is offered.
- No independent verification of Starbucks’ supply-chain practices in Xinjiang is provided in the available reports.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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,” — John Moolenaar
Timeline
- September 29 – Starbucks opens two cafés in Urumqi (Grand Bazaar and airport).
- October 1 – Rep. John Moolenaar issues statement demanding immediate closure of the stores.
- October 2 – Moolenaar repeats the demand, labeling the decision “morally bankrupt.”
What’s Next
- No concrete future actions have been announced by Starbucks or the U.S. Congress beyond Moolenaar’s call for closure.
