Prior to the initiation of economic reforms and trade liberalization 36 years ago, China
maintained policies that kept the economy very poor, stagnant, centrally-controlled, vastly
inefficient, and relatively isolated from the global economy. Since opening up to foreign trade and
investment and implementing free market reforms in 1979, China has been among the world’s
fastest-growing economies, with real annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaging
nearly 10% through 2014. In recent years, China has emerged as a major global economic power.
It is now the world’s largest economy (on a purchasing power parity basis), manufacturer,
merchandise trader, and holder of foreign exchange reserves.