Akio Toyoda, senior managing director of Toyota Motor Corp., was handling himself deftly at a news conference at the international auto show in Beijing in early June when he suddenly found himself in the hot seat after a reporter asked him about the automaker's joint venture in China.
"We were looking forward to hearing good news in May," the reporter said in reference to the Chinese government's delay in granting permission so that Toyota and Guangzhou Motor Corp. can jointly produce cars.
"We are now at the stage of waiting for government approval," Toyoda said as if speaking from talking points. He then abruptly switched to briefing reporters on other Toyota projects that no one had asked him about.