President Xi Jinping has arrived in the Netherlands, kicking off an 11-day tour across Europe.

It's the president's first trip to Europe since taking office, and he is also the first Chinese president to visit the Netherlands since the two states established diplomatic relations in 1972.

During his stay in the country, Xi will visit the cities of Amsterdam and The Hague, and meet with various Dutch officials. He is also scheduled to attend the third Nuclear Security Summit at The Hague, where he will hold talks with the US president.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R), his wife Peng Liyuan (L), Dutch King Willem-Alexander (R) and his wife Queen Maxima (2nd L) attend the welcoming ceremony held for the arrival of Xi and his delegation in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, March 22, 2014. Xi Jinping arrived here Saturday for a state visit to the Netherlands and a global nuclear summit. [Xinhua]

Xi Jinping's next stop will be France. There, the Chinese president will meet his counterpart Francois Hollande and attend celebration activities to mark the 50th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties. Xi will also visit the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

The Chinese president is then expected to travel to Berlin, for a sit-down with German officials to map out the future of bilateral relations. He will also meet business leaders from China and Germany.

Xi will end his Europe tour in Belgium. In addition to holdings discussions with senior officials there, Xi Jinping will visit the European Union headquarters in Brussels, and deliver a speech at The College of Europe in Bruges. Deals ranging from finance, energy, manufacturing and other sectors are set to be signed during each stop.