DUSSELDORF, Germany - China will open a consulate general in the German city of Dusseldorf, President Xi Jinping said here on Saturday.

Xi made the announcement during a meeting with Hannelore Kraft, premier of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

The planned consulate general is among Xi's proposals for further cooperation between China and the NRW, one of the most populous and richest states in Germany.

Xi called on both sides to expand cooperation in such areas as economic transformation and sustainable urban development, where the NRW has made remarkable achievements.

The Chinese side welcomes the NRW to take an active part in the building of the Silk Road economic belt, by giving full play to the unique regional position of Port of Duisburg.

Both sides should also enhance cultural exchanges, said Xi, noting that China welcomes the planned exhibition of contemporary Chinese art at various museums of the Ruhr Metropolis in 2015.

"I'm confident that the cooperation between the NRW and China will generate more fruitful results," Xi said.

For her part, Kraft said the NRW has enjoyed a close relationship with China, noting that more than 800 Chinese enterprises have settled in the state and over 1,000 NRW enterprises have invested in China.

The NRW is willing to strengthen trade, transport, logistics, and cultural exchanges and cooperation with China, and play a positive role in the development of Germany-China relationship, she added.

Xi is currently on a state visit to Germany, the third leg of his ongoing Europe tour, which had taken him to the Netherlands and France. After Germany, he will travel to Belgium.