In the eyes of Saul Desiderio, an Italian who has lived in Shantou for around a decade, the southern coastal city has made big changes over the past few years.

"The urban environment and hygiene have improved a lot and now transportation infrastructure has become more convenient to reach other cities as there are more high-speed railways and highways," said Desiderio.

He met his wife, a Shantou local, in Italy when he was working as a post-doctorate researcher at a university.

He followed her to Shantou in late 2011 and they settled down. Both of them are now working with the Business School of Shantou University.

After adapting to the sub-tropical weather, Desiderio started to enjoy the local food and relaxed lifestyle of the city. The development of e-commerce also brought Italian food, such as cheese and pasta, which has helped ease his occasional homesickness.

The local economy is becoming vigorous and the government has taken several measures to improve the business environment and attract skilled workers, he said. But, he added that the city could do better to narrow the gap between it and some best developed Chinese cities, such as Shenzhen and Shanghai.

Saul Desiderio, an Italian resident, is full of praise of Shantou's progress. CHINA DAILY

He suggested the local government should learn from Italy and set a criterion system that is much stricter than national requirements for its quality products.

Whether it is a toy, local food, or something else that has a good reputation locally, they can be branded "Made in Shantou" to increase their value, he said.

Meanwhile, given its long beaches, delicious local food and convenient rail transport, the city could put emphasis on developing its tourism industry, making it a place for people from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to relax, Desiderio said.

Both of these suggestions would make the city better known at home and abroad but would require promoting as well as toplevel design by the government.

Jes Tsong, general manager of Four Seas Foods (Shantou), a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Four Seas Group, said the city shows great potential for development.

He used to fly to Hong Kong every weekend to see his family, but since the high-speed rail line was put into service in August 2018, he has taken the train.

"I have been working in Shantou for 10 years. I am full of confidence that the city can be more prosperous in the future," Tsong said.