Starbucks opens its first stores in China’s Xinjiang region, including locations in Urumqi, and faces backlash from US lawmakers and human-rights groups. Critics say the company’s entry into Xinjiang is linked to ongoing concerns about the treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minority communities in the region.
The outlets describe a coordinated response, with lawmakers publicly criticizing Starbucks and rights organizations raising similar allegations. Washington Times quotes a US congressman condemning the company’s move, while NDTV and Free Malaysia Today report lawmakers and rights groups question the decision to operate there. The coverage focuses less on Starbucks’s statements and more on the broader human-rights controversy associated with Xinjiang, as well as the symbolic effect of a global brand expanding into the area. Overall, the differing angles emphasize either the political condemnation or the specific claims of alleged abuses, but all connect the backlash to Starbucks’s Xinjiang store openings and the Uyghur-rights concerns.
