CHINA has today announced it will donate another £24million to the World Health Organisation, days after Trump accused WHO of covering up the seriousness of virus and stopped funding.

The US, which is the WHO's biggest contributor, accused the organisation last week of "mismanaging" the COVID-19 crisis.

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5 Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump

5 Director-General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Credit: Reuters

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the new donation would be in addition to a previous £16 million committed.

He added that China's contribution to the UN agency "reflects the support and trust of the Chinese government and people for the WHO", according to The Times.

In announcing the funding freeze last week, US President Donald Trump accused the WHO of covering up the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak in China before it spread.

He has also charged the WHO with being "very China-centric" despite Washington's heavy funding.

Trump also claimed the outbreak could have been contained with "very little death" had the WHO assessed the situation in China accurately.

The deadly virus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which was locked down in late January to curb the spread.

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Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian urged the US to stop "stirring the pot" by "spreading fake statements".

Speaking on Weibo, he said: "We urge US officials to devote their energy to the prevention and control of their own epidemic."

He said the global battle against the pandemic is at a "critical moment" and that suspending funding will "undermine international co-operation against the epidemic."

He said the US should stop damaging relations between the two countries.

The President claimed the WHO prioritised "political correctness above life-saving measures" and slammed their "disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions" which he placed on the country back in January.

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But the American leader added that he would still engage with the WHO in the pursuit of meaningful reforms.

There are now more than 2.6 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in 185 countries as the disease continues to spread. At least 184,000 people have died.

The United States has more than four times as many confirmed cases as any other country.

5 Donald J. Trump speaking during a ceremony to plant a tree in celebration of Earth Day