The debate began in 2000 when local businessmen including Richard Chang and Winston Wang set up Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (GSMC) in Shanghai's Zhangjiang high-tech industrial park.
回顧晶圓西進爭議，始自二○○○年，國內業者張汝京、王文洋等人赴上海張江高科技園區籌設中芯、宏力兩家半導體公司。