Although China's economy has rapidly expanded since 1979, the People's Liberation Army was originally hampered by a lack of funding for troops, training, weaponry and modernization. To make up for this shortfall, the army was encouraged to venture into industry, with the hope of becoming self-financing as the economy continued to develop. During the 1980s and 1990s, military-oriented business rapidly expanded, generating revenues estimated at around 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product. This created openings for widespread graft and profiteering, conducted under the purview of military officials. The military simultaneously saw rising autonomy relative to civilian control. It wasn't until 1998 that President Jiang Zemin prohibited the army from engaging directly in business. Despite attempts at reform, the presence of large-scale networks of corruption and patronage persisted.