US President Donald Trump has upped the ante in his war of words with the WHO. Over a month after he temporarily cut funding for the global health body, following its allegedly inadequate handling of coronavirus pandemic, Trump on Monday warned the US could make the funding cut permanent and reconsider US membership of the group. Trump has warned of making permanent the funding cut if the WHO does not commit to “major substantive improvements” in 30 days.

China Sets Aside $2bn For The Combat Of The Global Pandemic

Trump uploaded a letter to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his official Twitter handle on Monday night. In the letter, Trump details his government’s allegations that the WHO had been tardy in its response to the coronavirus pandemic and deferential to China’s interests. The letter claims the WHO should have addressed its “alarming lack of independence” from China.

Earlier on Monday, Trump had referred to the WHO as being a “puppet of China”. Trump told reporters, “They (WHO) are a puppet of China. They’re China-centric, to put it nicer. But they’re a puppet of China. I think they have done a very sad job. The United States pays them $450 million a year. China pays them $38 million a year.”