OSLO, April 15 (AFP) - International human rights organisation Amnesty International has urged the Norwegian royal couple to postpone a planned visit to China this autumn in light of the human rights situation in the country.

"I am somewhat surprised that King Harald V and Queen Sonja have decided to go to China this year, so shortly after the death of Deng Xiaoping and at a time when nobody knows how China will tackle human rights issues," Jan Borgen, secretary general of the Norwegian branch of Amnesty International, told the Norwegian daily VG on Tuesday.

Cabinet secretary Magne Hagen at the Royal Palace stressed that the visit was still in the planning phase and not formally decided.

But Hagen refrained from commenting on Borgen's remarks, noting that the issue was a matter for the foreign ministry.

The royal visit to China is a reciprocal visit following Chinese President Jiang Zemin's state visit to Norway last year.

Borgen and Amnesty International fear that a royal visit may give the impression of China as a country with a "normal regime instead of a dictatorship."

Norwegian politicians stress that King Harald should raise human right issues in talks with Chinese leaders during his visit, and representatives from the Center party and Left Socialist party have insisted that human rights be the crucial topic in conversations.

Left Socialist leader Erik Solheim underlined that the king represents all political factions in Norway when he travels abroad.

"Human rights are not party politics, the whole nation will be backing the royal couple on this issue, where there is broad concensus in Norway," Solheim said.

Kirsti Kolle Groendahl, Norway's speaker of parliament, said that bringing up such issues would not be regarded as a natural part of the king's visit.

"But international issues are bound to be dealt with, and I know that the royal couple is very interested in Tibet and the Chinese occupation of this country," Kolle Groendahl said.