"Starbucks Morally Bankrupt... Close the Stores": Backlash over Entry into China's Xinjiang amid Human Rights Controversy - The Asia Business Daily
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Starbucks, the world's largest coffee chain, has entered the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China, sparking controversy. This region has long fac

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The stores - newly opened in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China, a region that has long faced allegations of minority human rights abuses - featured Starbucks logos in English and Chinese, but there were no signs in the Uyghur language. Uyghur, written in Arabic script, is an officially used language in the Xinjiang region alongside standard Chinese. The new stores, decorated with traditional musical instruments, also offer specialty beverages.

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At the end of March, Chinese investment company Boyu Capital completed the establishment of a joint venture in which it holds a 60% stake in Starbucks’ retail operations in China, while Starbucks retains a 40% share.

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International human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and the World Uyghur Congress, also pointed out that “Starbucks’ entry could be used by China as overseas propaganda to normalize human rights issues in the region.”

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