Western pundits spent years claiming China was erasing Uygur culture. Then Starbucks opened in Urumqi, staff and locals performed traditional Uygur dance — and the same critics called it forced propaganda and even a racist minstrel show.

In this episode of Reports on China, Andy Boreham breaks down the latest anti-China meltdown over the Starbucks Xinjiang openings. Sari Arho Havrén suggested China’s propaganda department ordered staff to dance. Kevin Yam went further, questioning whether the dancers were even Uygur and comparing the performance to blackface and fried-chicken stereotypes.

We look at who these commentators are, why the “no dance equals cultural genocide, dance equals oppression” logic collapses, and how Uygur Muqam and Meshrep are already recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

Viewer comments under the original posts say what the pundits won’t: people aren’t buying the race-baiting. If you want the context behind the Starbucks Xinjiang controversy, the double standard on Muslim culture, and why celebrating Uygur dance is not propaganda, watch to the end.