It's a copy past of the TSMC process because they were able to offer far higher higher salaries and attract TSMC talent. Given the reality that they have a lot

It's a copy past of the TSMC process because they were able to offer far higher higher salaries and attract TSMC talent. Given the reality that they have a lot of that talent and more each year and given the excellent track record of SMIC leadership, they will probably be able to advance on this, limited by the lithography machines they can procure. If their yield was abysmal, no one would be willing to buy the chips since they aren't selling them at a loss and have plenty of public sector demand. The fact that they were able to sell them commercially and thus competitively means that their yields are okay at least.