Beginning in 1978, China gradually enacted a number of changes. Agriculture, international commerce, and investment industries were addressed first. Small plots were created from communal lands. Individual families received them for cultivation.
The industrial sector was added to the changes. Manufacturing facilities might be established by private companies. Additionally, things might be produced locally through collectives or cooperatives. This resulted in a rivalry between the formerly forbidden private sector and the legacy state-owned businesses.
Dual pricing became necessary in China as a result of this type of restructuring. This meant that industrial businesses and farmers were required to buy and sell certain amounts of goods and raw materials at set rates. The amount of material traded on the open market likewise increased as output did. China established Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to draw in international investment.