Chinese online retail giant Alibaba is opening an office in Amsterdam, Dutch media say on Wednesday.

The company said in a statement it wants to be a ‘gateway to China’ for the Netherlands, the AD reports. The Benelux operation will be headed by Roland Palmer, former boss of Dutch household goods retailer Blokker.

It is not yet known where the office will be located or how many people it will employ, the paper says. Alibaba already has offices in Italy, Germany, France and Britain.

Last month online shopping monitor Thuiswinkel said Dutch consumers are increasingly buying goods and services on foreign websites and that Chinese online retailers in particular are pulling in Dutch shoppers.

Although the total volume of foreign sales accounted for just 3% of total turnover in online shops, China topped the list with 25% of spending, followed by Germany and Britain.

Alibaba said the Dutch office will also make it easier for Dutch companies to meet demand for their products in China.