Why did China expand the training of lawyers during its economic reforms?

China expanded the training of lawyers during its economic reforms primarily to facilitate the country's transition from a planned economy to a market-oriented one.1

In the previous system, commercial partners were assigned administratively, and disputes were resolved by higher-level officials. As China moved toward a market-based model, leaders recognized the need for a large core of legally trained intermediaries to assist commercial entities in forming their own relationships and to provide third-party dispute resolution.1

Following the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, when China had fewer than 3,000 lawyers, the government initiated an ambitious program to train hundreds of thousands of legal professionals and basic-level legal workers. This effort was part of a broader strategy to establish a legal framework for China's economic engagement with the global community and to build a legal order that could prevent the chaos experienced during the Cultural Revolution.1