I think it's more a result of the fact that China produces little intellectual property of its own right now. Enforcing copyright would raise costs, hinder development of copycat industries, and deplete the mountain of foreign exchange they've accumulated through exports. In addition, unlike most small countries that don't have domestic IP industries, China is not susceptible to US and European pressure.
The US eventually became a champion of IP laws once its own IP industries became globally dominant. China will discover the joys of copyright and patent lawsuits once they dominate the IP industries.
From what I've seen, the Chinese don't "get" the aesthetic systems of other cultures as readily or completely as the Japanese did. The Japanese seem to have a distinct edge over everyone else in East Asia in this regard.
The US eventually became a champion of IP laws once its own IP industries became globally dominant. China will discover the joys of copyright and patent lawsuits once they dominate the IP industries.