Japan tried to be the adult in the room on Tuesday, avoiding making public comments on Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves¡¯ provocative remarks over Nippon Steel¡¯s takeover bid for U.S. Steel, one day after Goncalves described Japan as ¡°evil.¡±
¡°We are aware of the news reports, but the government would like to refrain from commenting on every single statement made by the management of single companies,¡± Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular news conference, dodging questions on the matter.
But Goncalves¡¯ remarks have nevertheless stunned many in Tokyo. A senior Foreign Ministry official described them as shocking, saying they couldn¡¯t quite understand what Goncalves was talking about.
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