China's Starbucks brew-haha seen as storm in a coffee cup

BEIJING (AFP) - Norwegian tourist Ron Lidao sympathises with calls to oust US coffee giant Starbucks from China's historic Forbidden City, but his resolve wavered after a walk through the vast complex on a chilly day.

"It's out of place and shouldn't be here -- but I'm sure glad it is," Lidao said as he and his wife Inga warmed up with two coffees in Starbucks' tiny outlet there on Friday.

They were among several visitors to the Forbidden City, foreign and local, who viewed a public debate over the consumer icon's presence in one of China's greatest historical sites as a bit of a storm in a coffee cup.

Popular Chinese television presenter Rui Chenggang recently revived the long-simmering debate with an online campaign accusing Starbucks of leaving a commercial stain on the former home of China's emperors since opening the outlet in 2000.

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