Xi, speaking by video conference at the opening of the World Health Assembly, stressed that such an investigation must be conducted in an “objective and impartial manner” and said Beijing would donate $2bn to the United Nations to help the global response to the outbreak. “All along we have acted with openness, transparency and responsibility,” Xi said.

More: Taiwan expresses dissatisfaction over exclusion from WHA.

In the run-up to the conference, calls for Taiwan to be allowed to join the meeting, led by the US, also threatened to anger Beijing, which has blocked Taiwan from attending since 2016. Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s foreign minister, said his country had not been invited to this week’s meeting, adding that it had agreed to put the issue off until later this year.

Wu said on Monday, just before the meeting began, that, after suggestions from allies and “like-minded nations”, Taiwan would not pursue its WHO bid for now. He expressed “deep regret and strong dissatisfaction” that the WHO secretariat had “yielded to pressure from the Chinese government”.

As criticism of China has increased over the last few months, support of Taiwan, seen as having successfully managed the outbreak, has grown. Previous bids by Taiwan, which had non-voting observer status at the WHO for seven years until 2016, have not gained as much traction as this year’s.

“Beijing has failed to shape the narrative on Covid-19, pressed too hard diplomatically against countries critical of its response, and come off as prioritising its image and its own interests, including on Taiwan, over global health,” said Jessica Drun, a non-resident fellow at Project 2049, a thinktank focusing on security in the Asia Pacific region.

“In the past, Taiwan’s bids have not gained as much traction as it is currently, and I think that’s largely due to the example Taiwan is setting to the world on not only how to effectively combat the disease on the home front, but also in sharing best practices through informal channels with the international community,” Drun said.