China has said the United States was trying to shift the blame for Washington’s own mishandling of the Covid-19 crisis, responding to President Donald Trump’s letter threatening to halt funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Trump threatened on Monday to reconsider the United States’ membership of the WHO if the organisation did not commit to improvements within 30 days, and said the body had shown an “alarming lack of independence” from China.

Chinese Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters that the United States was trying to smear China and had miscalculated by trying to use China to avoid its own responsibility.