In Depth: Clash of Two Tech Whizzes Reflects Leading Chipmaker SMIC at Crossroads

One was a fatherly mentor figure, the other a brash wunderkind.

This tale of two industry veterans, whose clash at the top of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) made headlines earlier this month, could well summarize the difficult situation China’s leading microchip-maker faces as it stands at a crossroads in its brief history.