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WORLD NEWS Friday 29 april 2022
Survey: Americans increasingly see China as a threat

By DAVID RISING and KEN itor," Silver said.
MORITSUGU On the official level, how-
BEIJING (AP) — Americans ever, U.S. Secretary of De-
are increasingly seeing Chi- fense Lloyd Austin calls Chi-
na as a world superpower na the U.S. military's leading
and a threat, though grow- long-term challenge and
ing numbers perceive it the U.S.-China relation-
more as a competitor than ship has become more
an enemy, according to a strained on many levels
survey released Thursday. since the start of President
The Washington-based Joe Biden's term in January
Pew Research Center said 2021.
that negative views of Chi- Biden has been placing
na reached a new high, more emphasis on the
with 82% of Americans hav- Indo-Pacific region and
ing either somewhat un- has repeatedly criticized
favorable or very unfavor- China for military provoca-
able views of the country, tions against Taiwan, hu-
a 6 percentage point in- man rights abuses against
crease from last year. ethnic minorities and efforts
About two-thirds of U.S. to squelch pro-democracy
adults said that China's President Joe Biden meets virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping from the Roosevelt Room of advocates in Hong Kong.
influence in the world is the White House in Washington, on Nov. 15, 2021. U.S. officials also have ex-
getting stronger, and two- Associated Press pressed concern about
thirds also consider China's signs that China is increas-
power and influence a 54% chose competitor and fine what is an enemy, as who called Russia an en- ing the size of its nuclear
major threat to the United 35% said enemy — almost opposed to a competitor. emy. Some 70% of Ameri- arsenal, although it remains
States. exactly the same as the The survey of 3,581 people cans now see Russia as an far smaller than America's.
At the same time, the pro- prior year. was taken from March 21 enemy, up from 41% in Jan- With China so far refusing
portion of respondents The shift may be a tem- to 27, about a month into uary, according to Pew. to condemn the invasion
who saw China as an en- porary one influenced by the Russian invasion. The "With a clearer sense that of Ukraine, Beijing's part-
emy has dropped since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. margin of error was plus what Russia is doing de- nership with Moscow was
January. Currently, 62% of Laura Silver, a senior re- or minus 2.3 percentage marcates it as an 'enemy,' identified as the most seri-
Americans see China as a searcher at Pew, said it's points. there has been a corre- ous problem for the U.S.,
competitor and 25% as an likely that the war has The opposite shift occurred sponding shift in thinking with 62% of people polled
enemy, while in January changed how people de- in the share of Americans China is more of a compet- saying it was.q

U.S. tries to seize yacht in Fiji. But which oligarch owns it?

By NICK PERRY gold producer Polyus, with lemarin Investments Ltd.
Associated Press Forbes magazine putting (sometimes spelled Mille-
WELLINGTON, New Zealand his net worth at $14.5 billion. marine) is the legal owner
(AP) — A judge in Fiji is due Or is the real owner Eduard of the vessel and that the
to rule Tuesday on whether Khudainatov? That's what company is linked to the
U.S. authorities can seize defense lawyers claim. real, or beneficial, owner,
the luxurious superyacht Khudainatov is the former Khudainatov. But U.S. au-
Amadea — worth some chairman and chief execu- thorities have claimed that
$325 million — which has tive of Rosneft, the state- behind all the various fronts,
been stopped from leav- controlled Russian oil and the real owner is Kerimov.
ing the South Pacific nation gas company. Crucially, On April 19, after the yacht
because of its links to Rus- Khudainatov currently had sailed into Fiji from
sia. does not appear to face Mexico, the High Court
But a vital question remains any sanctions, unlike many in Suva ordered that the The superyacht Amadea is docked at the Queens Wharf in Lau-
over which oligarch really oligarchs and people with Amadea not leave Fiji un- toka, Fiji, on April 15 2022.
owns the Amadea. Only close ties to Russian Presi- til the merits of the U.S. Associated Press
one of the two possible dent Vladimir Putin who warrant to seize the vessel
candidates faces sanc- have been sanctioned were determined. Perhaps mains on board to ensure it U.S. was acting with allies
tions. since the war began. reflecting the question over stays put. and partners around the
Is the real owner Suleiman As with many superyachts, ownership, the court later According to Boat Interna- world to impose costs on
Kerimov? That's what the determining the real own- ordered Fijian prosecutors tional, the Amadea is 106 Russia because of its "war
U.S. claims. ership of the Amadea is to amend an original sum- meters long and was built in of choice."
Kerimov, an economist difficult due to the shad- mons which named just 2017. It features a stainless "We continue to ratchet
and former Russian politi- owy trail of trusts and shell Kerimov to also include Mil- steel albatross that extends up the pressure on Putin's
cian, was sanctioned by companies. On paper, the lemarin Investments Ltd. as off the bow and weighs oligarchs and we are work-
the U.S. in 2018 for alleged superyacht is registered in a second respondent to more than 5 tons, a live ing with allies and partners
money laundering and has the Cayman Islands and the case. lobster tank in the galley, a to go after corrupt gains
faced further sanctions owned by Millemarin In- For now, the yacht contin- 10-meter (33-foot) pool, a from some of the individu-
from Canada, Europe and vestments Ltd., also based ues to sit in a Fijian harbor hand-painted Pleyel piano als closest to Putin, no mat-
Britain after Russia invaded in the Cayman Islands. with its crew of about 25 and a large helipad. ter where they are held
Ukraine. Kerimov made a Defense lawyers have rotating on and off the ves- The U.S. Embassy in Suva around the world," the em-
fortune investing in Russian claimed in court that Mil- sel, while a police officer re- said in a statement that the bassy said.q