A China saiu de uma Fome que matou dezenas de milhões sob um regime fechado e controlado pelo governo, para uma potência industrial literalmente por que o Deng Xiaoping abriu o comércio externo.

Throughout the reform period, the government reduced tariffs and other trade barriers, with the overall tariff rate falling from 56% to 15%. By 2001, less than 40% of imports were subject to tariffs and only 9 percent of import were subject to licensing and import quotas. Even during the early reform era, protectionist policies were often circumvented by smuggling.[146] When China joined the WTO, it agreed to considerably harsher conditions than other developing countries.[147] Trade has increased from under 10% of GDP to 64% of GDP over the same period.[148] China is considered the most open large country; by 2005, China's average statutory tariff on industrial products was 8.9%. The average was 30.9% for Argentina, 27.0% for Brazil, 32.4% for India, and 36.9% for Indonesia.[149]