Turkistan Times News Desk | October 3, 2026
Starbucks’s first Urumqi outlets have drawn objections from a U.S. congressman and a Uyghur rights organization. They have called for closure, warning that the company’s presence could help normalize repression. [2, 3]
Local official media reported that two stores opened on September 29, 2026, at the International Grand Bazaar and Urumqi Tianshan International Airport. [1]
John Moolenaar, chairman of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, called the decision “shocking and morally bankrupt” in an October 1 statement. He urged Starbucks to reverse course immediately and close its stores in the region. [2]
Moolenaar said an American company could not justify operating where, he said, the Chinese Communist Party had detained more than a million Uyghurs and was stripping them of their faith, language and culture. He argued that every cup sold linked the American brand to China’s policies against Uyghurs. The statement represents a congressional committee chairman’s position, not a U.S. executive order to close the stores. [2]
Why rights groups object
The World Uyghur Congress demanded closure in its October 2 weekly brief. It said companies should not support an economy marked by state-imposed forced labour or normalize rights abuses. [3]
Starbucks cited responsible-business standards; Human Rights Watch warned its presence could conceal abuses, the Financial Times reported. [4]
The concerns follow the UN Human Rights Office’s August 31, 2022 assessment, which concluded that arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim groups may constitute crimes against humanity. [5]
On January 19, 2021, then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo determined that China’s actions against Uyghurs and other minorities constituted genocide and crimes against humanity. That is a U.S. government determination, distinct from the UN assessment’s qualified finding that abuses “may constitute” such crimes. [6]
Forced labour concerns and the limits of the law
The U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act creates a rebuttable presumption that goods produced wholly or partly in the region, or by listed entities, involve forced labour. Such goods are barred from U.S. entry unless evidence satisfying the law’s conditions rebuts that presumption. This is an import measure, not a blanket rule automatically prohibiting a café from opening in the region. [7, 8]
The sources reviewed for this article do not establish that employees at these two Starbucks cafés were subjected to forced labour. The objections concern regional conditions and the company’s responsibilities; they should not be conflated with a proven allegation about the outlets’ own workers.
The company’s expansion and China’s position
Xinjiang Daily described Muqam and Atlas-silk elements at the bazaar store. It also reported that Starbucks China CEO Liu Wenjuan said the company would continue investing in the regional market. [9]
According to Starbucks’s April 2 announcement, Boyu Capital-managed funds hold 60 percent of its China retail operations and Starbucks retains 40 percent. Starbucks continues to own the brand rights. [10]
China rejects allegations of human rights abuses. AFP reported on October 2 that Beijing says its policies stopped terrorist attacks, countered extremism and supported regional economic development. This is the Chinese government’s position. [11]
Sources and bibliography
The numbered references apply to all five language editions. All sources were accessed October 3, 2026. Where no publication time or named author was available, none has been inferred.
[1] 郭玲、李凯、米热扎提·木塔力甫. “星巴克在乌鲁木齐开业了！” 乌鲁木齐晚报, republished by 新浪财经, September 30, 2026, 11:33 (displayed time). Chinese. News report.
https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2026-09-30/doc-initqqvi2170506.shtml
[2] U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. “Starbucks Serves Up Venti-Sized Genocide; Opens Stores in China’s Xinjiang Region.” October 1, 2026. English. Press release quoting Chairman John Moolenaar.
[3] World Uyghur Congress. “Weekly Brief, 02 October 2026.” October 2, 2026. English. Section on the Starbucks openings.
https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/weekly-brief-02-october-2026/
[4] Financial Times. “Starbucks opens first cafés in China’s Xinjiang.” October 1, 2026. English. News report.
https://www.ft.com/content/352e32dd-9dd8-4544-a807-9ec1a4904105
[5] United Nations Special Procedures mandate-holders. Communication AL CHN 12/2022. December 19, 2022, p. 2. English. Quotes paragraph 148 of the OHCHR assessment published August 31, 2022.
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=27725
[6] Pompeo, Michael R. “Determination of the Secretary of State on Atrocities in Xinjiang.” U.S. Department of State, January 19, 2021. English. Official U.S. determination.
https://2017-2021.state.gov/determination-of-the-secretary-of-state-on-atrocities-in-xinjiang/
[7] U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.” English. Official explanation of the law and rebuttable presumption.
https://www.cbp.gov/trade/forced-labor/UFLPA
[8] U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “Notice Regarding the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List.” Federal Register, August 3, 2026. English. Official notice; Background, sections B and C.
[9] 新疆日报. “星巴克正式入疆！” Republished by 新浪财经, September 30, 2026, 11:21 (displayed time). Chinese. News report carrying company statements.
https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2026-09-30/doc-initqqvi5750011.shtml
[10] Starbucks Coffee Company. “Starbucks and Boyu Capital Finalize Joint Venture to Accelerate Long Term Growth in China.” April 2, 2026. English. Company announcement.
[11] Agence France-Presse. “Starbucks critiqué après l’ouverture de ses premiers cafés au Xinjiang.” Boursorama avec AFP, October 2, 2026, 12:20 (displayed time). French. News report.
