By Caroline Smith

BONN, Nov 16 (Reuter) - German President Roman Herzog plans to raise the issue of human rights during a week-long trip to China which begins on Sunday, but says his discussions will not be made public and are not the main focus of the visit.

Herzog told reporters he wanted to make clear with his visit that German-Chinese relations should not be confined to economic questions. Cultural, scientific and research areas are also significant, he said at a briefing on the visit.

He is also under pressure to raise the issue of human rights which was again highlighted on Friday when a Chinese court upheld an 11-year prison sentence for subversion on prominent dissident Wang Dan. It weighed his appeal for just 10 minutes.

Asked about human rights, Herzog told reporters he would not "keep silent on critical issues." He said they would be discussed, but the conversation would not be made public.

Human rights group Amnesty International gave him a list of 14 names of political prisoners and asked him "to support the observance of human rights and the freeing of non-violent political prisoners."

Beijing has slammed Western criticism of its human rights record as interference in its internal affairs.

Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher said in Beijing on Thursday the world was dismayed by harsh sentences slapped on Wang and fellow dissident Wei Jingsheng, the father of China's modern democracy movement.

Saturday's popular Bild daily described Herzog's visit as a "delicate mission," but added: "The German president is always as courageous as Mrs Thatcher. We look forward to his clear language."

U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher is due in Beijing next week and diplomats say he too is expected to raise human rights issues in his meetings with Chinese leaders.

The Berliner Zeitung daily said of the two visits: "Neither of them (Christopher and Herzog) are going to cancel their visits. They will on the contrary forego any clear protests, so as not to let one or a few dissidents endanger the economic interests of their countries."

Herzog will travel to China with members of Germany's Max Planck scientific institute and other leading research centres as well as representatives from German industry.

Germany is China's largest European trade partner.

An orchestra of international musicians will also travel with the president and give several concerts during the visit.

Government sources said Herzog saw great potential in China for German expertise in environmental protection.

Earlier this year Beijing withdrew an invitation for German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel to visit after the German lower house of parliament passed a resolution accusing China of trying to eradicate Tibet's cultural identity.

After a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations general assembly in September, Kinkel and Chinese counterpart Qian Qichen said they had ironed out any differences.

Kinkel held talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing a few weeks ago, preparing the ground for Herzog's visit.

The president arrives in Beijing on Sunday where he will meet President Jiang Zemin. On Tuesday he is due to hold talks with Prime Minister Li Peng. He will leave for a four-day state visit to Nepal on November 25.