LANZHOU, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- When it comes to "China speed," high-speed trains are what first come to mind for most people. But for Blaise Dembele, the streamlined procedures at public service centers are the most obvious connection.

Dembele, a 38-year-old Malian, is a PhD student majoring in geochemistry at Lanzhou University, northwest China's Gansu Province, on a Chinese government scholarship.

When Dembele first came to China in 2010, he was impressed by the country's rapid development. But when he went to the local visa office to extend his visa, he was bothered by the long queues and inefficient procedures.

"I had to queue for over an hour at times and didn't know how to fill out all kinds of complicated forms," said Blaise. He said many of his friends had to run between the school and the visa office many times before getting things done.

The complex approval procedures were unnecessary burdens for foreigners living in Lanzhou, which stood in the way of China's promise to open up.

In early 2017, the Lanzhou city government began to streamline its service procedures. From this year, Lanzhou Municipal Administrative Service Center has opened reservation channels on its website and through social media platform WeChat, in a bid to simplify the approval process and improve service efficiency.

In May 2017, the government divided all services into categories based on their respective processing timeframes -- immediately, in one day, or within a specific period.

Yang Liling, the center director, said 5.34 million applications have since been processed.

According to a key session of the Communist Party of China in October, governments at all levels are urged to upgrade governance and improve services by adopting technologies such as big data and AI.

In Lanzhou, besides the service for foreigners, the government has also developed an app to make it more convenient for local residents to apply for government services, with 96.77 percent of all services accessible online, said Yang.

Now Dembele and his friends don't have to wake up early to queue anymore. He has witnessed in person that as the Chinese economy grows, the government is improving its management system step by step.

Dembele regards China as his second home. He said the safe living environment, inclusive culture and capable government have prompted more foreigners like him to stay.