JAPAN

Tokyo Not Eager to Confront China Over Piracy: Japan, which shares U.S. anger over copyright violations, is content to let Washington do the brawling. “Our approach to China is not so attacking. It’s more cooperative,” says Toshikazu Masuyama, a Trade Ministry official. That doesn’t mean Japan is unwilling to reap the benefits of U.S. trade action. “If the U.S. pressures the Chinese government, protection of intellectual property rights will improve worldwide,” Masuyama said. Japanese companies have probably lost less than the $1 billion that Washington says U.S. companies have lost from illegal Chinese copies of music CDs, computer software and more, but the problem is significant.