China slams US panel’s ‘genocide’ claim after Starbucks opens first Xinjiang stores

China has accused a US congressional panel of spreading “blatant lies” after the committee criticised Starbucks for opening its first stores in Xinjiang, where Washington has accused Beijing of genocide against the Uyghur minority.Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the US House Select Committee on China was “fabricating claims out of thin air for political purposes” and had no credibility to comment on the situation in the region.“The so-called ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang is a blatant lie,” Guo said.His remarks came after committee chairman John Moolenaar called Starbucks’ decision to open two outlets in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, “morally bankrupt” and urged the company to shut them.Starbucks opens first Xinjiang storesStarbucks opened two cafes in Urumqi this week, one at the city’s international airport and another at the Grand Bazaar, a popular tourist and shopping destination.Moolenaar said the move tied an American brand to what he described as the…