Beijing, May 19: The United States is trying to evade international obligations to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and smearing Beijing to divert attention from its own incompetence, China said on Tuesday. In a statement cited by Sputnik news agency, the Chinese foreign ministry underlined that paying its full contribution to the WHO in a timely manner is an obligation of every member of the international agency.

US President Donald Trump has told WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a letter shared on Twitter that the US will completely stop funding the international agency unless it commits to major improvements within the next 30 days. China, US Must 'Unite to Fight Deadly Coronavirus Pandemic', Says Chinese President Xi Jinping During Call with Donald Trump.

Trump accused the global health body of ignoring credible reports on the spread of the virus and making incorrect and misleading claims about the deadly contagion under pressure from Beijing.

In April, the US President suspended the funding for the WHO over its "China-centric" policies. Trump, as well as several members of his administration, have claimed that coronavirus may have originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus was first discovered. Both the WHO and China deny all accusations of data concealment and lack of transparency.