<P> China's economic growth since the reform has been very rapid, exceeding the East Asian Tigers . Economists estimate China's GDP growth from 1978 to 2013 at between 9.5% to around 11.5% a year . Since the beginning of Deng Xiaoping's reforms, China's GDP has risen tenfold . The increase in total factor productivity (TFP) was the most important factor, with productivity accounting for 40.1% of the GDP increase, compared with a decline of 13.2% for the period 1957 to 1978--the height of Maoist policies . For the period 1978--2005, Chinese GDP per capita increased from 2.7% to 15.7% of U.S. GDP per capita, and from 53.7% to 188.5% of Indian GDP per capita . Per capita incomes grew at 6.6% a year . Average wages rose sixfold between 1978 and 2005, while absolute poverty declined from 41% of the population to 5% from 1978 to 2001 . Some scholars believed that China's economic growth has been understated, due to large sectors of the economy not being counted . </P> <P> China is widely seen as an engine of world and regional growth . Surges in Chinese demand account for 50, 44 and 66 percent of export growth of Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan respectively, and China's trade deficit with the rest of East Asia helped to revive the economies of Japan and Southeast Asia . Asian leaders view China's economic growth as an "engine of growth for all Asia". </P> <P> After three decades of reform, China's economy experienced one of the world's biggest booms . Agriculture and light industry have largely been privatized, while the state still retains control over some heavy industries . Despite the dominance of state ownership in finance, telecommunications, petroleum and other important sectors of the economy, private entrepreneurs continue to expand into sectors formerly reserved for public enterprise . Prices have also been liberalized . </P> <P> During the pre-reform period, Chinese agricultural performance was extremely poor and food shortages were common . After Deng Xiaoping implemented the household responsibility system, agricultural output increased by 8.2% a year, compared with 2.7% in the pre-reform period, despite a decrease in the area of land used . Food prices fell nearly 50%, while agricultural incomes rose . </P>

China's initial economic reforms were in which sector