OSLO, April 3 (AFP) - Chinese leaders have become more positive to open dialogue on human rights, Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjoern Jagland said Thursday after talks with Qiao Shi, president of the Chinese parliament.

Norwegian authorities openly criticised China's human rights record in talks with Qiao, but Jagland stressed that the Chinese official was not offended by the massive criticism.

"Qiao's response was that Chinese history and traditions hamper a quick normalisation of the human rights situation in China," Jagland said after the talks.

Qiao, the number three in the Chinese hierarchy, is in Norway as part of a European tour which has already taken him to France and will also see him travel to Italy and Mongolia.

"Chinese authorities have no objections to a planned Norwegian visit to Tibet in the middle of April, and this shows willingness from the Chinese side to have an open dialogue on human rights," Jagland said.

Norwegian foreign ministry state secretary Jan Egeland will lead a delegation to Tibet in a fortnight.

According to the Norwegian ambassador to Beijing, this would be the first time such a high-level delegation is allowed to visit Tibet.

"The Chinese hosts have been very cooperative in discussions on who will be permitted to speak with the Norwegian delegation," ambassador Sverre Berg Johansen said.

But the press will be barred from accompanying Egeland on his visit to Tibet, ministry sources here said.