I know that China had always had a large part in exporting products to other countries but it's my understanding that from the 19th century it went into a steep economic decline. When and how did the turnaround begin that made China into the powerhouse exporter it is today?
During Deng Xiaoping's tenure, China began to adopt market reforms that would eventually turn it into the manufacturing powerhouse it is today. More specifically, the start of "turn around" can be traced to 1978, when Deng was advised to institute reforms by Singaporean prime minister Lee KuanYew during a state visit.