The committee said: "Such deliberate misleading of the WHO (World Health Organisation) and scientists in other countries obscured analysis in the critical early stages of the pandemic.

"Disinformation about Covid-19 has already cost lives. It is essential that the Government issues clear and transparent messages at home to confront and rebut disinformation spread by foreign powers.

"It must also work closely with allies to present a united front where possible, and to help ensure that vital international research efforts are not compromised by propaganda and bad data."

The report comes as a major study, released today (Mon), calls for Britain to pursue the Chinese government through international courts for £351 billion in compensation for the coronavirus outbreak spreading to Britain’s shores.

The study, from foreign policy think-tank The Henry Jackson Society, concludes the economies of the G7 group of the world's leading economies has been landed with a £3.2 trillion bill following Beijing’s disinformation campaign.

Downing Street sources have suggested that the Communist superpower would face a “reckoning” when the pandemic is over.

While the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove appeared to lay the blame for the UK’s paucity of testing at China’s feet.

When asked why Britain did not have sufficient testing, despite the first case in China being known about in December, Mr Gove said: “We’ve been increasing the number of tests over the course of the last month.

“It was the case… the first case of coronavirus in China was established in December of last year, but it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this.”

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who has led a rebellion against the Prime Minister after he allowed Chinese firm Huawei into the 5G network, said the UK must rethink its relationship with the nation.

The former Tory party leader said: “As a result of Beijing’s cover-up and delay, global health experts are convinced the rest of the world had insufficient time to prepare for the pandemic, which means the effect of the outbreak has most likely been worse.

“For too long, nations have lamely kow-towed to China in the desperate hope of winning trade deals.

“But once we get clear of this terrible pandemic, it is imperative that we all rethink that relationship and put it on a much more balanced and honest basis.”