How to install 'build-essential:i386' on Debian 7.9 x64?

I'm on Debian 7.9 (wheezy) x64, and I would like to install build-essential:i386. I already added i386 in dpkg --architecture, updated aptitude and installed java-jdk-1.6:i386 successfully. BTW, no matter how I try, build-essential systematically generates an error of dependencies with: apt-get install build-essential:i386 Depend : dpkg-dev:i386 (>= 1.13.5) E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages... If someone has an idea... Thanks. Also, I found this on [Debian Mailing Lists - Re: cross-build-essential](https://lists.debian.org/debian-embedded/2012/07/msg00005.html) > > Say I want to have the build-essential for i386 installed on amd64. I could install build-essential:i386, replacing gcc/g++:amd64 with gcc/g++:i386. Wouldn't that give me everything needed to cross-compile for i386? > > In that case, yes, because you can run x86 code on an AMD64 or Intel 64 CPU. Though you would indeed be replacing gcc-4.7:amd64 etc. with gcc-4.7:i386 etc. as the packages aren't co-installable with themselves. Is it true?