Hong Kong (CNN) – Figures last month out of China for Japanese auto companies paint a pretty stark picture of the impact on sales of anti-Japanese sentiment over a group of disputed islands.

Sales for Toyota vehicles in the world’s largest car market fell 40% year-on-year in September, mimicking similar declines for Mazda and Nissan. Meanwhile, General Motors had record car sales in China last month, as did South Korean carmaker Hyundai.

All of which suggest calls by Chinese nationalists to stop buying Japanese products are taking a bite out of Tokyo profits. But do economic boycotts really work?
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Editor's note: The Outlook series spotlights a country to give a deeper understanding of the business, industry and consumer trends that fuel its economy. While exploring the current challenges and opportunities facing a country's economic progress, Outlook also seeks to provide an insight into its future development.

(CNN) Valued at $83 billion, Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) is the world's largest contract chip manufacturer in the world. TSMC makes chips for customers like Qualcomm and Fujitsu and captures nearly 50% of the market. This year the company says it will invest $8.5 billion, much of it in R&D, to try and stay ahead of the pack. CNN's Pauline Chiou sat down with the founder of the company, 81-year old Chairman and CEO Morris Chang. FULL POST