COPENHAGEN, April 16 (AFP) - Denmark "is not going to apologise to China" for its attack on China's human rights record, but it would like relations to get back to normal, Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen said Wednesday.

Denmark had Tuesday seen its resolution in the UN Human Rights Commission condemning China blocked after intense Chinese lobbying won a "no-action" motion that was passed by 27 members of the Commission, with 17 voting against and nine abstaining.

China had followed up its victory with praise for the countries which abandoned the Danish resolution, and retaliated by postponing all exchanges of visits with Denmark.

Petersen told the official Ritzau agency he regretted Beijing's reprisal and that "it was up to China to normalise relations between the two countries."

He added: "We have openly declared that we are in favour of pursuing political, economic and cultural relations with China."

He said, however, that this did not mean Denmark was giving up its criticism of China's approach to human rights. The United States and 13 other western nations had supported Denmark's resolution in the vote.

"Denmark will pursue its policy along two paths -- cooperation and critical dialogue -- with China," Petersen said.

Affirming his foreign minister's words, Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said "the Danish position concerning human rights is known to China. It isn't new; it remains firm and unchanged."

Rasmussen added: "It isn't Denmark which has changed its mind on this question, but other countries."

Petersen expanded on that line, saying "the clear lesson" learnt from the failure of the Danish resolution was to show that "it was difficult for the 15 countries of the European Union to agree on foreign policy and common security."

Although China had faced, and won, similar resolutions every year since the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, Tuesday's vote was a major diplomatic coup for China which succeeded in splitting EU ranks and bringing prominent critics like Australia, Canada and Japan over to its side.

Of the EU countries, a revolt started by France this year resulted in Germany, Italy and Spain also backing China against Denmark.

Describing the EU split as "dealing a blow to joint foreign policy in this affair," Petersen said however "that it was still too early to draw conclusions and definite experiences on the dissent among the 15."

Denmark's opposition party capitalised on the government's defeat, with spokeswoman Anne Lundholte saying "Denmark's behaviour had been unfortunate and excessive" and the issue should have been approached differently.

"This affair has benefitted neither human rights nor Denmark," she said.