The 1980s is when they started opening up the market but the 70s is when they started burning bridges with the Soviets and building bridges with the west /japan
China did not become a full part of the global economic system until 2001 when they entered the WTO
China after the 2000s was an economic superpower that rivaled America
It was really in the 2000s when China’s economy exploded, with annual GDP growth around 10%. The turning point was opening its markets, joining the WTO, and securing permanent normal trade relations with the U.S. in 2000, which unlocked massive foreign investment.
You can see the major difference starting from that moment:
And then Boom!!
This triggered what became known as the ‘China Shock,’ when Chinese exports flooded Western and especially U.S. markets. It wiped out an estimated 2 million American jobs, devastating U.S. manufacturing. The effects are still felt today , you can see the legacy of it in U.S. politics and even in Trump’s rhetoric:

The ‘China shock’ of trade in the 2000s reverberates in US politics and economics – and warns of the dangers for fossil fuel workers
Large-scale job losses in the US due to trade with China will lead to enduring demographic and political aftershocks without the implementation of policies that promote widespread job growth.
