Washington DC – A human rights advocacy group and US lawmakers criticized Starbucks for opening its first cafes in China's Xinjiang, where activists and foreign governments have alleged widespread rights abuses against the region's Muslim Uyghur population.

The American coffee giant opened two stores in Urumqi, the regional capital, on Tuesday, in a move heralded by Chinese state media outlets.

John Moolenaar, chairman of the US House Select Committee on China, called the development "morally bankrupt" in a statement on Thursday.

The stores' opening "ties an iconic American brand to the CCP's brutal campaign against the Uyghurs" he said, referring to the governing Chinese Communist Party.

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The World Uyghur Congress, a rights advocacy group, said Starbucks "is once again choosing to ignore a dire human rights situation... by opening stores in the region."

"Companies should not contribute to an economy where state-imposed forced labour remains a serious concern," it added in a social media post.

The United Nations warned in 2022 of possible crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, including the detention of more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in camps there.

Rights groups say serious abuses continue in the region, including forced labour.

The Chinese government denies the accusations and says its policies have rooted out extremism and brought economic development.

The US has imposed sanctions in response to alleged abuses, and several Western brands have faced criticism for connections to Xinjiang.

Last year, French sports retailer Decathlon was accused of purchasing textiles from suppliers that used forced Uyghur labour in the northwestern region.

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Decathlon said in response it condemned forced labour and would take action if the allegations were correct.

The Chinese government has invested heavily in Xinjiang – which was one of the country's fastest-growing regions in 2025 – and is promoting a tourism boom.

Last year, Starbucks announced it would sell a controlling stake in its Chinese retail operations to investment firm Boya Capital in the hope of revitalising business in its second-largest market.