Starbucks has been slammed, again, in local media for placing an outlet in Beijing's Forbidden City, once the home of the imperial family in China.
Rui Chenggang, an anchor on China's CCTV station, posted on his blog that the Starbucks outlet is "an insult to Chinese civilization". Rui did say that he buys coffee from Starbucks, but he says that placement of the outlet within the hallowed walls of the Forbidden City–which also has kiosks that sell Kodak film, tea, ice cream cones, and souveniers–is not good because it is "a symbol of low-end U.S. food culture".
A Forbidden City spokesman says that they will decide by June whether to allow Starbucks to remain inside. Starbucks has already been in the location for six years and over the years it has been the focus of criticism by Chinese visitors and foreigners who feel the outlet degrades the perceived sanctity of the location.
There has been no response from Starbucks' China representative Eden Woon to requests for more information for China CSR.
