It could be called globalization run amok and bad taste, even American cultural imperialism. It is certainly an irritant to Chinese nationalists. Or it may be just a nice place to get a mellow macchiato on a cold fall afternoon. But the opening last month of the 19th Starbucks outlet in the Chinese capital, smack in the middle of the ancient home of China's emperors, has sparked a tempest in a coffee mug. This is an American product.
Coffee is cool now.
The Forbidden City can be cool, too. Dozens of Chinese newspapers have reported on the issue, focusing on complaints about what nationalists regard as barbarian infiltration of the hallowed halls of China's past. It is also a hot topic in China's Internet chat rooms. Beijing's government, ever vigilant, wants the controversy to blow over soon. And the folks at the Forbidden City and Starbucks wonder what hit them.