Government offers alternative to amendment that could force UK to reconsider trade deals with countries such as China

The government is seeking to fend off a backbench revolt over China by giving the foreign affairs select committee new powers to investigate whether a country is so clearly breaching human rights that the UK should not agree to a free trade deal with it.

The proposal is being canvassed as an alternative to a measure which would give the high court the power to make a preliminary determination that a country with which the UK is negotiating a trade deal is committing genocide. Such a determination would require the government to consider pulling out of any free trade agreement.

This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.