WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has asked the United Nations (UN) to “hold China accountable for their actions”.

In a prerecorded speech from the White House to the UN  General Assembly, Trump accused Beijing for the global spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, which has so far infected 31 million people worldwide and killed over 965,000.

“In the earliest days of the virus, China locked down travel domestically, while allowing flights to leave China and infect the world,” Trump said in his address. “The Chinese government, and the World Health Organization, which is virtually controlled by China, falsely declared that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.”

(With inputs from Agencies)