Toshiba looks to Chinese market for LCDs, HD DVD

Manufacturing mogul Toshiba is looking at market expansion into China for growth, according to an interview given at the Chinese SINOCES trade show. The company expects to sell ten million LCD televisions to the Chinese market in 2008, making it the second-largest market behind the US. Toshiba is also hoping to launch HD DVD players there, with mention of partnering with Chinese manufacturers, although certain "content licensing and software issues" need to be worked out (you can bet that means piracy protection). And just because we love to bring it all back to that crazy format war, we have to wonder, is this a brilliant move by Toshiba, who can suddenly make up the difference in sales lost from skittish potential buyers in other countries? Or will the format — heck, either format — languish there like it does here when compared to standard-def DVD?