BEIJING, China (AP) -- That round-eared mouse dancing with kids? Not a copy of Disney's Mickey Mouse, the Shijingshan Amusement Park insists. And that raven-haired woman with seven men in elf suits? Not Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Such rampant Chinese copying has strained ties with the United States, whose trade deficit with China soared to $232.5 billion last year. Both governments are preparing for what are expected to be contentious talks May 23-24 in Washington on Beijing's trade policies, its currency and other issues.
On Wednesday, a Chinese delegation signed deals at a ceremony in San Francisco to buy $4.3 billion in U.S. technology in an apparent effort to ease American anger. The contracts went mostly to software, semiconductor and telecommunications companies including Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., Cisco Systems Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co.
China regularly makes such purchases of U.S. jetliners, soybeans and other goods before high-level contacts. But it was unclear what effect the latest buying spree might have on the souring U.S. mood.
Facing rising criticism from Congress, the Bush administration has threatened trade penalties over product piracy. Washington last month filed a World Trade Organization complaint against Beijing.
China is a leading source of unlicensed copies of goods ranging from music and software to sports equipment and heart medicine. Officials say such piracy costs legitimate foreign and Chinese suppliers billions of dollars a year in lost sales. The International Intellectual Property Alliance, an industry group, estimated losses to Chinese piracy of books, films, music and software last year at $2.2 billion.
Beijing has raised penalties for violators of patents, copyrights and other intellectual property and launched repeated crackdowns. But foreign industry groups say violations are growing faster than enforcement, driven by China's roaring economic expansion that has raised incomes and provided a market for consumer goods, both real and fake.
Even in a country awash in pirated music, movies and other goods, the state-owned Shijingshan park stands out.
"We do not have any agreements with Disney," its deputy general manager, Yin Zhiqiang, said Wednesday. "The characters in our park just look a little bit similar to theirs. But the faces, clothes, sizes and appearances are different."
Over the weeklong May Day holiday, the Shijingshan Amusement Park filled its grounds on Beijing's western suburbs with actors in costumes that resembled Disney and other foreign characters.
A video shot by Japan's Fuji TV on May 1 showed children cavorting with characters resembling Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Japan's Hello Kitty and Doraemon.
A banner over the entrance said, "Disney is too far, so please come to Shijingshan."
On Wednesday, the banner was down and none of the cartoon characters were on display. An employee who would give only her surname, Li, said the performances usually occur during the summer and holidays.
Lawyers for the park and the Walt Disney Co. were in negotiations, said Yin, the deputy general manager of the park, which is owned by the government of Beijing's Shijingshan District.
"The results will come out in a couple of days," he said.
A Disney spokeswoman, Alannah Goss, declined to comment on the Shijingshan park but sent a statement affirming Disney's determination to fight copying.
"Disney values and protects its intellectual property vigorously and takes reports of suspected infringement very seriously," the statement said.
Despite the striking similarities to foreign characters, Yin insisted the Beijing parks are all locally designed.
"Take our Cinderella as an example. The face of Disney's Cinderella face is European, but ours is a Chinese. She looks like a young Chinese country girl," he said.
On Wednesday, two workmen with sledgehammers could be seen tearing down the Sleeping Beauty statue.
Yin, the deputy general manager, refused to say why.
raven-haired
【形】 黒髪の、髪の黒々とした
rampant
【形】 荒々｛あらあら｝しい、暴れ回る、〔病気｛びょうき｝・犯罪｛はんざい｝などが〕はびこる 過激な
strain ties with
～との関係｛かんけい｝を緊張｛きんちょう｝させる、～と緊張関係｛きんちょう かんけい｝になる
contentious
【形】 議論｛ぎろん｝を起こす、論争好きの、論争的｛ろんそう てき｝な、議論｛ぎろん｝のある、異論｛いろん｝の多い
>>contentious and divisive
賛否両論｛さんぴりょうろん｝のある
delegation
【名】 代表団｛だいひょうだん｝、派遣団｛はけんだん｝、代議員団｛だいぎいん だん｝、委任｛いにん｝
jetliner
【名】 ジェット旅客機｛りょかくき｝
spree
【名-1】 〔欲望｛よくぼう｝などに〕ふけること
・ He got a new credit card and went on a shopping spree. 彼は新しいクレジットカードを手に入れ、派手な買物にくり出した。
【名-2】 盛んな活動、ばか騒ぎ、酒盛り｛さかもり｝、浮かれ騒ぎ、やり放題｛ほうだい｝
【自動】 浮かれる
souring of relations
関係悪化
piracy
【名】 海賊行為｛かいぞく こうい｝、著作権侵害｛ちょさくけん しんがい｝
【発音】pa'i(э)rэsi、【分節】pi・ra・cy
World Trade Organization
【組織】 世界貿易機関
complaint
【名-1】 不平｛ふへい｝（の種）、不満｛ふまん｝、苦情｛くじょう｝、クレーム、愚痴｛ぐち｝
ranging from __ to __
＿から＿に及ぶ
legitimate
【形-1】 合法｛ごうほう｝の、合法的｛ごうほうてき｝な、適法｛てきほう｝の、正当｛せいとう｝な、正規｛せいき｝の、正統｛せいとう｝の、本物｛ほんもの｝の、正真正銘｛しょうしん しょうめい｝の、本式｛ほんしき｝の
《be ～》進水｛しんすい｝する
《be ～》全国組織｛ぜんこく そしき｝として発足｛ほっそく｝する
《be ～》～する試みとして始まる
crackdown
【名-1】 〔違法行為に対する〕取り締まり、法律｛ほうりつ｝の厳格｛げんかく｝な施行｛しこう｝、弾圧｛だんあつ｝
awash
【形】 水につかって、波に洗われて
・ American culture today is awash in aristocratic images. 今日のアメリカ文化は貴族的なイメージであふれている。
pirated
【形】 海賊版｛かいぞくばん｝の
deputy
【名-1】 代理（人）｛だいり（にん）｝
affirm
【自動】 上訴｛じょうそ｝［控訴｛こうそ｝］を棄却｛ききゃく｝する◆上級裁判所が下級審を支持すること
【他動】 断言｛だんげん｝する、肯定｛こうてい｝する、確約｛かくやく｝する
determination
【名-1】 決心｛けっしん｝、決定｛けってい｝、判定｛はんてい｝、決意｛けつい｝、決断（力）｛けつだん（りょく）｝、測定｛そくてい｝
【副】 元気｛げんき｝に
【＠】ビゴラスリ
精力的｛せいりょくてき｝に省庁改革｛しょうちょう かいかく｝を行う
infringement インフリンジ
【名】 侵害｛しんがい｝、違反｛いはん｝、違背｛いはい｝、侵害行為｛しんがい こうい｝、抵触｛ていしょく｝
sledgehammer
【名】 大ハンマー、大槌｛おおつち｝、玄能｛げんのう｝