US President Donald Trump has threatened to defund the World Health Organisation after the “China centric” body failed to support early travel bans which could have saved tens of thousands of lives.

Mr Trump called for an investigation into the body which has been widely condemned for praising China’s response to the coronavirus despite the fact the country covered up hundreds of cases in 2019. The totalitarian regime also locked up doctors who issued early warnings of the coronavirus and continues to lie about case and death figures, according to Chinese journalists.

“The World Health Organisation who receives vast amounts of money from the United States and they actually criticised and disagreed with my travel ban at the time I did it and they were wrong,” he said. “They seem to be very China centric so we have to look into that."

WHO general manager Tedros Adhanom is facing calls to resign following his bungled approach to the coronavirus crisis.