‘Stand on the right side of history’: Starbucks urged to close stores in China’s Xinjiang

US lawmakers say operating in region where Muslim minorities face mass detention is ‘morally bankrupt’

US lawmakers have urged Starbucks to close newly opened outlets in China’s Xinjiang, saying it was a “morally bankrupt decision” to operate in a region where Beijing has been accused of widespread human rights abuses against Muslim minorities.

The coffeehouse chain, which last year sold a controlling stake in its China retail business to the Hong Kong-based investment firm Boyu Capital, opened two stores in the region on Tuesday.