Proposing the Introduction of the Smiling Face Business Model in Pakistan as part of CPEC

China showcased its "Smiling Face Model" investment approach during the 11th China Overseas Investment Fair (COIFair) in Pakistan, reaffirming its commitment to enhancing their socio-economic collaboration.

As reported by China Economic Net, the "Smiling Face Model" now transcends traditional single-project cooperation, emphasizing shared growth through dialogue and sustainable development as core principles.

This innovative business model will emerge from this framework and encompass the entire infrastructure industry chain, fostering synergy between infrastructure projects and regional economic advancement.

The "Smiling Face Model" optimizes resource allocation and factor mobility, spurring trade, investment, industrial connectivity, and overall development. Consequently, it boosts employment, tax revenue, and government financial capacity.

Structured as Port-Industry-City (PIC) or Port-Logistics-City (PLC), the "Smiling Face Model" exhibits ternary characteristics. One "eye" integrates harbors, zones, and cities, fostering integration between ports and industrial hubs or coastal areas and industrial centers. The other "eye" combines land ports, logistics zones, and cities, promoting the convergence of land ports and industrial hubs or inland logistics centers and industrial cities. The connection between these "eyes" forms a smiling curve symbolizing comprehensive transportation infrastructure, including roads, railways, and the entire industry chain.

Illustrating this concept with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the southern end focuses on enhancing Pakistan's seaports to facilitate free trade zones, fostering mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Pakistan, and developing the modern port city of Gwadar. The northern end centers on the construction of the Kashgar international land port, aiming to transform Kashgar into a world-class logistics, financial, and trade center in Western China. This initiative establishes the Kashgar-centered city circle and underscores Xinjiang's pivotal role on the Silk Road Economic Belt.

The "Smiling Face" signifies that CPEC, under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), brings tangible benefits to the people of Pakistan. The Rashakai Special Economic Zone, strategically located at the intersection of CPEC's east, central, and west routes, is a flagship project facilitating industrial and zone integration within CPEC. This zone is poised to lead China-Pakistan production capacity cooperation. With a planned area of 406.74 hectares and an expected investment of nearly $130 million, Rashakai SEZ will be developed in three phases.