US criticism of Starbucks in Xinjiang rejected

China has firmly rejected criticism from a US congressional committee regarding Starbucks' expansion into the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Beijing stressed that the move of the US consumer giant demonstrates the region's social stability and economic vitality as more domestic and international brands tap its growing consumer market.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Saturday that claims of so-called genocide in Xinjiang are "a blatant lie", in response to a question about criticism from the US House Select Committee on China, which had described Starbucks' decision to open stores in the region as "morally bankrupt".

"Relevant US institutions are accustomed to fabricating issues and attacking and smearing China for political purposes, and have no credibility whatsoever," Guo said.

"Xinjiang today enjoys social stability, economic development, ethnic unity and religious harmony," he added. "China will continue to expand high-standard opening-up and provide more opportunities for foreign companies to invest and operate in China."

Starbucks opened its first two stores in Xinjiang on Sept 29, both in Urumqi, the regional capital — one at the city's Grand Bazaar and the other at Urumqi Tianshan International Airport. The openings marked the global coffee chain's debut in the region and its latest expansion in China, its second-largest market after the US.

The Grand Bazaar flagship store incorporates local elements into its design, including Atlas silk, ethnic musical instruments and bazaar-inspired architecture.

The airport outlet adopts a "silk road station" concept to serve travelers at the regional transport hub. Both locations feature locally inspired offerings.

During the weeklong National Day holiday, a Xinjiang-inspired drink and three food items are also being offered at more than 2,700 Starbucks stores across 41 Chinese cities, bringing the region's flavors to consumers nationwide.

"Entering Xinjiang is not only about further expanding our store network, but also gives us an opportunity to go deeper into this vibrant market and build long-term connections with consumers here," said Molly Liu, CEO of Starbucks China, adding that the company would continue to deepen its presence in Xinjiang and develop stores, products and experiences tailored to local demand.

Starbucks is not alone in looking to the region for growth. Domestic giant Luckin Coffee opened its first 11 self-operated stores in Urumqi in May 2024, while Cotti Coffee had entered the Xinjiang market earlier through its franchise model.

The expansion of major coffee brands comes alongside strong growth in Xinjiang's tourism sector. The region received 323 million tourist visits in 2025, up 8 percent year-on-year, with tourism spending rising 8.4 percent in the same period to 370 billion yuan ($52 billion), according to regional government data.

Retail sales have also returned to growth this year. Xinjiang's retail sales of consumer goods reached 263.03 billion yuan in the first eight months of 2026, up 0.3 percent year-on-year, after declining 0.3 percent in the first seven months, official data showed.

The region's broader corporate base is also expanding. Xinjiang had 2,647 registered foreign-invested enterprises by the end of June, up 6.91 percent from a year earlier, while the total number of registered market entities reached 2.73 million, according to regional market regulators.

Nationwide, China saw 35,000 newly established foreign-invested enterprises in the first half of 2026, up 7 percent year-on-year, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation. The number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises in wholesale and retail rose 11.9 percent.