▁not ▁imp ede ▁the ▁general ▁move ▁toward ▁the ▁market ▁at ▁the ▁micro e conom ic ▁level . ▁D eng ▁sust ained ▁Ma o ' s ▁legacy ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁that ▁he ▁str essed ▁the ▁prim acy ▁of ▁agricult ural ▁output ▁and ▁encourag ed ▁a ▁significant ▁decent ral ization ▁of ▁decision - making ▁in ▁the ▁rural ▁economy ▁teams ▁and ▁individual ▁pe asant ▁households . ▁At ▁the ▁local ▁level , ▁material ▁in cent ives ▁rather ▁than ▁political ▁appe als ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁motiv ate ▁the ▁labor ▁force , ▁including ▁allowing ▁pe as ants ▁to ▁ear n ▁extra ▁income ▁by ▁s elling ▁the ▁produce ▁of ▁their ▁private ▁plots ▁on ▁the ▁free ▁market . ▁In ▁the ▁main ▁move ▁toward ▁market ▁allocation , ▁local ▁municipal ities ▁and ▁provinces ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁invest ▁in ▁indust ries ▁that ▁they ▁considered ▁most ▁prof itable , ▁which ▁encourag ed ▁invest ment ▁in ▁light ▁manufact uring . ▁Thus , ▁D eng ' s ▁re forms ▁shift ed ▁China ' s ▁development ▁strategy ▁to ▁emphas ize ▁light ▁industry ▁and ▁export - led ▁growth . ▁ ▁Light ▁industrial ▁output ▁was ▁vital ▁for ▁a ▁developing ▁country ▁that ▁was ▁working ▁with ▁relatively ▁little ▁capital . ▁With ▁its ▁short ▁gest ation ▁period , ▁low ▁capital ▁requirements , ▁and ▁high ▁foreign ▁exchange ▁export ▁ear nings , ▁the ▁reven ues ▁that ▁the ▁light - man ufact uring ▁sector ▁generated ▁could ▁be ▁re inv ested ▁in ▁more ▁techn olog ically ▁advanced ▁production ▁and ▁further ▁capital ▁exp end it ures ▁and ▁invest ments . ▁However , ▁these ▁invest ments ▁were