U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) unless "it can demonstrate independence from China" and make "substantive improvements within 30 days."

On May 19, Trump tweeted the letter that he had sent to the WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calling it "sefl-explanatory!"

Trump's letter criticised WHO

The letter contained multiple bullet points criticising the WHO for its handling of the outbreak and China's dissemination of information on the virus.

It then concluded on the following line:

"...if the World Health Organisation does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organisation permanent and reconsider our membership in the organisation.

I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organisation that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America's interests."

This is the letter sent to Dr. Tedros of the World Health Organization. It is self-explanatory! pic.twitter.com/pF2kzPUpDv

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2020

Trump had already frozen funding for the WHO on a temporary basis on April 14, according to Time.

Previously called WHO a "puppet of China"

Aljazeera further reported that Trump also denounced the WHO as a "puppet of China" on May 18.

He stated:

"The United States pays them US$450m (S$638 million) a year, China pays them US$38m (S$53.9 million) a year, And they're a puppet of China. They're China-centric to put it nicer, but they're a puppet of China."

China pledges US$2 billion to WHO

Meanwhile, May 18 also saw China pledge US$2 billion (S$2.8 billion) to the WHO, over a period of two years, at the organisation's assembly, Politico reported.

China's President Xi Jinping added that it had provided information on the Covid-19 outbreak "in a most timely fashion", and that it had also shared its experience in treating and controlling the virus "without reservation."

Xi also voiced his support for a review of the global response to Covid-19, amidst a call by the European Union and several other countries for an independent review of the WHO's response to the virus.

Xi said, according to Reuters: "This work needs a scientific and professional attitude, and needs to be led by the WHO."

China had previously rejected calls for a review into the origins and spread of the virus.

Top image collage left image from Donald J. Trump Facebook and WHO Facebook