European Council President Herman Van Rompuy (R) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (L) welcome China's President Xi Jinping at the European Council in Brussels March 31, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

BRUSSELS - China's President Xi Jinping on Monday became the first Chinese leader to visit the headquarters of the 28-country European Union in Brussels.

Xi is meeting with top EU officials to discuss the close business ties between the two sides as well as their diplomatic relations.

The EU is China's largest trading partner, while China is Europe's second-largest, trailing only the US. Trade between China and Europe is worth well over 1 billion euros ($1.37 billion) a day.

Xi met with Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission (the EU’s executive arm), Martin Schulz , President of the European Parliament - and he also met with Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs the meetings of the EU's 28 national leaders.

Xi is in Belgium as part of a wider European tour that has also taken him to France, Germany and the Netherlands.