China's antitrust regulator denied that Starbucks Corp would be its next target for investigation.

China Securities Journal reported Thursday morning that Starbucks might be the next target for China's antitrust investigations, partly because the company's profits in China and the Asia-Pacific area are higher than in Europe and the United States.

"The report does not match with the real situation," a senior official of the price and antitrust department at the National Development and Reform Commission told China Daily.

"It's a rumor. Starbucks hasn't been involved in any antitrust investigations to date," said a source familiar with this issue.

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