Skip to main content

The German Marshall Fund of the United States

  • Who we are
    • Programs
      • Alliance for Securing Democracy
      • Asia Program
      • Balkan Trust for Democracy
      • Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation
      • Congressional Affairs
      • Europe Program
      • Fund for Belarus Democracy
      • Future of Geopolitics
      • GMF Cities
      • GMF Digital
      • Leadership Programs
      • Mediterranean Program
      • Security and Defense
    • Offices
      • Ankara
      • Belgrade
      • Berlin
      • Brussels
      • Bucharest
      • Paris
      • Warsaw
      • Washington, DC
    • About Us
    • Marshall Plan
    • Our Partners
  • Experts
  • Events
    Feb
    26
    Past Event

    China and Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific after COVID-19

    February 26, 2021 | 9:00AM to 10:30AM CET
    • Major Conferences & Forums
      GMF brings together hundreds of policymakers, elected officials, academics, and business leaders from around the world to discuss topics from energy to migration, economics to security, urban growth to diplomacy.
    All Events →
  • Our Work
    • Topics
      • America
      • Asia
      • Europe
      • Cities and Regions
      • Security
      • Trade and Economies
      • All Topics
    • Research
      • Publications
      • Transatlantic Takes
    • Perspectives
      • Audio
      • Video
      • Blog post
      • In The News
  • Stay Informed

Photo Credit: Mateusz_Szymanski / Shutterstock

In the News

American Companies in China Shouldn’t Fear Tariffs. They Should Fear a Boycott.

April 11, 2018

Isaac Stone Fish

Visiting Fellow, Asia Program

What should give Starbucks executive chairman Howard Schultz nightmares? Imagine this: A Chinese netizen posts that, because of unfair American trade practices, it is patriotic to boycott Starbucks. State-run media outlets circulate the claim, and it ricochets around the Chinese Internet. Soon others heed the call.

The coffee behemoth has more than 3,000 stores across China, pledged to open 2,000 more by 2021 and recently opened its largest store in Shanghai. (I’m writing this article from a Starbucks in a mall in a quiet part of Shanghai; there is another Starbucks several hundred feet away.) Imagine that on May 1, China’s Labor Day, consumers stage a national walkout of Starbucks and pledge to instead patronize local coffee brands. Instead of representing sophisticated urbanism, Starbucks in China starts to seem like an avatar of American overreach and imperialism. When Schultz complains to Chinese leaders, they offer their condolences but say it’s the “will of the people.” So as Starbucks shares begin to drop, Schultz and other concerned U.S. food and beverage chief executives use their considerable lobbying presence to try to persuade the Trump administration to yield to Chinese demands.

The Washington Post
Read the full article

Explore: Policy

Asia

Explore:

Asia Program

Related Content

Photo Credit: SvetlanaSF / Shutterstock

In the News

America’s Maps Are Still Filled With Racist Place Names

Oct 6, 2020 | By Isaac Stone Fish

Photo Credit: Enjoy The Life / Shutterstock

In the News

Why Disney’s New ‘Mulan’ is a Scandal

Oct 6, 2020 | By Isaac Stone Fish
Strengthening Transatlantic Cooperation

Our Organization

  • About GMF
  • Career Opportunities
  • Our Partners
  • Press Room
  • Support Our Work
  • Core Values

Our Work

  • Leadership
  • Policy
  • Civil Society
  • Research & Analysis

Our Experts

  • Find an Expert

Follow

  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Diversity Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Credits

Stay Informed

Don’t miss out on the latest from GMF. Sign up to receive emailed newsletters, announcements, and event notifications.

Subscribe