 Although the Chinese government initiated the reform and opening policy in 1978, selling things for profit by private citizens was still banned in practice.In April 1982, Xie Gaohua was appointed Party Secretary of Yiwu.A month after his arrival, a street vendor named Feng Aiqian (冯爱倩) complained to him that her goods were repeatedly confiscated by county authorities and questioned why she was not allowed to sell goods to support her poor family.