He’s questioned the accuracy of the death toll there, and even said he was looking into suggestions that the virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan. But this is the harshest criticism of its kind so far.

By claiming that China’s delay in alerting the world to the spread of the virus was politically motivated - and designed to boost the election chances of his political rival Joe Biden at the expense of his own - Mr Trump is upping the ante in an increasingly bellicose war of words.

Earlier this week a senior Chinese official - Le Yucheng - questioned the president's handling of the crisis, and accused him of not acting quickly enough in order to prepare the American people for the spread of Covid-19.

For all that the president dismisses claims that the 2020 election will amount to a referendum on his handling of this crisis, its outcome may well rest on the pace of the economic recovery.

Expect the war of words between the world's two largest economies to continue.