Japan and the United States may square...

Japan and the United States may square off later this week over the currency rates of Asia’s four so-called little dragons--Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. At international meetings scheduled in Washington, the United States is expected to try to pressure the four to boost the value of their currencies and help cut their trade surpluses with America. But Japanese government officials are reportedly uneasy with that pressure. “Frankly speaking, we just wish the issue would go away,” said one Japanese official.